A Devil's Halo
by Miss Ame
Summary: Tai was a demon sent by Oni to change one girl's destiny. He never thought that his life would be changed by her. He also never expected to fall in love with his 'project' in the process. Taiora! UPDATED. The story's complete!
1. A Little Introduction to Oni's Plan

  
  
  
  
  
**A Devil's Halo**   
  
  
  
  
**Disclaimer: **No, I don't own Digimon. You know what I'd do if I did own it. Well...that is if you've read my other stories.   
  
  
  
  
**Author's Notes:** This chapter does not have any Taiora in it, of course. I must build their relationship ^_^. In other words, this is a little introduction as to what will be going on, and Tai and Sora's meeting. That will be all. Please enjoy.   
**By the way. I revised this chapter a little. I also changed Oni's original plan to better fit my story, and for it to make more sense. I understand that I was a complete idiot when I was a little fresh at writing. I said that Heaven agreed with Oni to give up some souls. Now what the heck was I thinking? Heaven wouldn't ever do that. I had to try and make it a little more realistic... althought this really isn't realistic.**   
**_The change made is in the longest speech that Oni gives Tai._**   
  
  
  
  
^o^   
  
  
  
  
**A Devil's Halo:** Part One   
_Oni's Plan_   
  
  
  
  
^o^   
  
  
  
  
"Otrisaki!" called the ruler of hell...Oni.   
Everyone was afraid of him. Not only did he torture every creature in hell, but he could kill them, something that was very impossible, in a place where you could live in eternal darkness, but still live...an eternal life.   
  
  
  
A young brown head walked over to his lord.   
  
  
  
"Yes Lord Oni?" he asked, he was the one with the name Otrisaki.   
  
  
  
"I have noticed that in every mission I have sent you on, you have completed it without any errors. So, I will send you to another mission," said Oni.   
  
  
  
Otrisaki bowed his head, and knelt down. "I will obey your every command master," he said, as if he were hypnotized.   
  
  
  
"Good. We are having another conflict with the world above us," explained.   
  
  
  
"You mean Heaven?" asked Otrisaki.   
  
  
  
"**Shut up**! How many times do I have to tell you lower class demons **NEVER** to say that-that preposterous word!"   
  
  
  
"I'm sorry master," apologized Otrisaki.   
  
  
  
"Never mind. Anyways...'_they_' are getting a great deal more, of humans, to put in Heaven. We need more humans, to be put to hell, so I will send you down to Earth, and become this person's demonic guardian."   
  
  
  
"Yeah...who are they?"   
  
  
  
"I am truly sure that this girl will be going up to Heaven, so you have to make her do some very evil deeds, so we will be able to send her to hell. I asked for a deal with the '_above_' but they refused. I told them that if I get one of my minions to get one person who's destiny is supposed to be in the '_above_', and change it to go here to hell, then they would exchange ten percent of their souls to our place. Of course they refused though, so I guess that I'll just get as many souls who are destined to go to heaven, go to hell to show them who they're messing with. I'm sending you out as my experiment to see if it will really work. Now go. I don't really know if you can do it or not, but I care if you succeed without falling deep into feelings. You're wasting my time. Leave now," he said, waving Otrisaki off.   
  
  
  
"Yes sir," said Otrisaki.   
  
  
  
"Good..." said Oni, chuckling so evilly, it could send chills down your spine.   
  
  
  
"Umm, ya. How will I meet this girl?" Otrisaki asked.   
  
  
  
"You will find her. And when you do, you will know that it's her. Now go!" said Oni, pushing Otrisaki into a portal, down to Earth.   
  
  
  
"Wait! What's her name?" Otrisaki yelled back, as he fell.   
  
  
  
"Sora Takenouchi!" said Oni.   
  
  
  
  
^o^   
  
  
  
  
'_Hey...where am I_?' thought Otrisaki, looking at his surroundings.   
  
  
  
"Hey...need help?" asked a young girl, about the same age as Otrisaki.   
  
  
  
Otrisaki looked up at the girl. She had short light brown hair, that reached up to her shoulders, soft light brown skin, and ruby colored eyes.   
  
  
  
"...Uhhh...hi," said Otrisaki, dazed at the girl's appearance.   
  
  
  
The girl helped Otrisaki up.   
  
  
  
"My name's Sora. What's yours?" she asked.   
  
  
  
'_Sora?! This is the girl I'll have to bring with me to hell_?' thought Otrisaki, then he looked around nervously, looking for a new fake name.   
  
  
  
"Uhhh..." he said, glancing over to a karate building sign saying '**We teach taichi, for free**!' "Uhhh...Tai...Taichi..." he said, looking around for a last name, then he heard a name being called Katrina, he decided to changed some letters.   
  
  
  
"...Uhhh...Taichi Kam...iya. Yeah...but everyone else calls me Otri- - -Tai. Where I used to live of course," he said, nervously. Somehow that name sounded oddly familiar to him. Now where did he hear that name before...?   
  
  
  
"Oh. Hello Tai. My last name is Takenouchi. Sora Takenouchi, but you can just call me-" she began.   
  
  
  
"Sora?" he guessed.   
  
  
  
"Yeah," Sora replied. "You were in a hurry, where were you going?" she asked.   
  
  
  
"I was?" Tai asked, bewildered.   
  
  
  
"Yeah. You were running all over the park," Sora said.   
  
  
  
"Oh...I was? Eh heh...I guess I didn't know what I was doing then," he said.   
  
  
  
"Yeah...I guess. You're new around here aren't you? I've never seen you around before," she said.   
  
  
  
"Yeah."   
  
  
  
"Okay. Do you want me to show you around?"   
  
  
  
"Sure, why not?" he asked.   
  
  
  
Sora motioned Tai to follow her, and he just trailed along behind.   
  
  
  
'_Hmmm...first I have to try to become friends with her...make her trust me...then, I'll ask her to do things for me. Sinful things_...' thought Tai.   
  
  
  
  
^o^   
  
  
  
  
**Author's Notes:** So...how'd you like it so far? Weird or...weird? Heh...Anyways, please review! 


	2. A New Place to Stay

  
  
  
  
  
**Author's Notes:** Hi low!!! Okay, so I said that I was going to start on this again, and I'm making sure that I keep my promise. I don't care how hard it is to write two fics at the same time anymore! Besides that, I just got a review that I really _have_ to answer, because... well... it was the first one in _months_ that I got from this chapter, and I never thought that I would ever see a review for this chapter ever again. Especially since I never reposted it. Thank you taidigimon!!! Oh yeah, and here's the answer for that question:   
  
  
  
  
_From taidigimon:_   
  
  
  
Hm...Is sex a bad deed? KEEP WRITING! Yes it is... wait- Literally? Generally? Ask again.   
  
  
  
Oh yeah, and I was just looking at what I've written so far for this chapter, and I just noticed that I changed Tai's primer name from 'Otrisaki' to 'Otrisaka'. Sorry for my mistake. It will now forever remain Otrisaki. Sorry for the confusion. By the way, like in 'Visions' I changed my writing style here too. I've outgrown the small sentences. ^_^ I just learned now to type exactly what's on my mind, and not limit it. Maybe that's a bad thing... like right now... I'll be quiet now.   
  
  
  
  
^o^   
  
  
  
  
**A Devil's Halo:** Part Three _A Place to Stay_   
  
  
  
  
^o^   
  
  
  
  
The rain began pouring down, hard over '_Tai_'... or Otrisaki. Okay, so strike one for Sora. Doesn't he get any award for what he just did? Can't he at least get some means of shelter? '_Life's a bitch, so as long as you're like one of my little minions, you're life will be just a load of crap. You listen to everything that I say. Now get there, and do some work! Oh... by the way... Welcome to hell_.' Tai remembered Oni say to him the first day he stepped into the fiery pit of doom.   
  
  
  
Tai shoved his hands into his pockets, to keep the warmth from escaping his hands... practically the only part of his body that wasn't freezing from the cold yet. He stared at the ground, mad, aimlessly walking through the streets of Odaiba, not knowing where to go, what to do, where the nearest shelter from the rain was. Even the bums seemed to have it made, as he stared at them, inside their humongous boxes, cuddled up next to some stray dog or cat, watching him with warning eyes, warning him to keep away from their '_property_'.   
  
  
  
Just then, Tai had felt the rain stop crashing down on his head, and he looked up to see if there was a building that he unnoticeable walked under. No. There wasn't, but there was the next best thing. Sora was holding a black umbrella above her head, and his. He was probably walking around the area for so long that he hadn't noticed that it was already the next day.   
  
  
  
"Hey... you're soaking wet. Didn't you go home last night? It's been pouring like this ever since," Sora said, taking off one layer of her clothing, her rain coat, and placing it over Tai's shoulders.   
  
  
  
"Home...? Oh. Yeah. I mean no. I didn't," Tai said, not noticing the mistake that he had just spilled out. He was concentrating more on the warmth the rain coat gave him.   
  
  
  
"What do you mean you didn't go home? You don't have one or something?" Sora asked, walking along side him.   
  
  
  
Tai's mind was beginning to wander. His head felt like it was spinning out of control, and he just began noticing that his movements were sluggish. "No..." he managed to say, as he tried to keep his balance.   
  
  
  
Sora watched him, as she quickened her pace, and pulled on his arm to follow her.   
  
  
  
  
^o^   
  
  
  
  
Sora managed to bring Tai over to her house. She had to half carry, half drag him, the rest of the way to her couch, because he had blacked out. She placed a cold face towel over his forehead, and walked over to her mom's room to tell her that she brought an ill friend over, whom she saw wandering the streets.   
  
  
  
'_No home? How could he possibly have no home? Just look at his clothes. They look so new. Maybe he ran away? If he did, wouldn't his parents care? Wouldn't they report him as a runaway, or missing? If so, his face should be posted up around the neighborhood, and they would be talking about a lost teen in the news. Then again... if he ran away, wouldn't he even think of bringing some clothes, food, and money with him? What should I do now_?' Sora thought frantically. He was still a stranger, but her mother had always been hospitable to the homeless. Would her mom let her take in a teenage **boy** stranger?   
  
  
  
Sora looked up from the spot on the ground she concentrated on, as she thought. Tai stirred, and woke up. "Where am I?" was the first thing that came out of his mouth.   
  
  
  
"You...You're at my house..." Sora said, slightly blushing. It was very improper to bring a complete stranger to your house, and lay them on your couch after they had blacked out, so she quickly added, "You have a fever. You must've stayed in the rain too long, and you just blacked out. I was going to wake you up so you could change out of those soaking, cold, wet clothes, but I decided to let you rest first. Maybe it was a bad idea..."   
  
  
  
"No! No... I needed that rest. Uh... you have dry clothes?" he asked.   
  
  
  
"Yeah... my dad's. Here..." Sora said, getting a pair of jeans and a shirt, for the teen laying cold on the couch.   
  
  
  
  
^o^   
  
  
  
  
When Tai walked out from the guest bedroom that Sora's mom asked her to prepare, he found mother and daughter sitting, eating a quiet dinner. He just realized that he was hungry, for he hadn't eaten anything in nearly twenty four hours. His fever had gotten the best of him, and he was asleep all day.   
  
  
  
Sora had stood up from her seat almost immediately. She had forgotten that he was there for a minute. He was so quiet, ever since she brought him in. Her mom had approved his stay. She was so sympathetic that a young teen was wandering around in the rain, that after hearing Sora's story, she immediately said yes.   
  
  
  
"You shouldn't have gotten up. I mean you could have called. You're still sick, I don't understand how you could have had the strength to get out of bed," said Mrs. Takenouchi.   
  
  
  
"I'll get you a plate, just go back to bed. Wasting your energy will just make things worse," Sora said, taking a plate out of the kitchen cupboard. "Well...?" she asked. Tai just stared at her, then nodded and went back to the bedroom.   
  
  
  
  
^o^   
  
  
  
  
'_Why are they being so kind to a total stranger_?' he thought, as he laid down on the bed. He placed his cold hand over his forehead to soothe his headache. '_I remember this... when I was still human, I got a fever... Wait. I'm a **HUMAN**?! Then why did his eyes still turn red_?' His thoughts were disturbed by his '_project_'.   
  
  
  
"I just... well I didn't know what you wanted, so I just put everything on your plate. You can pick out the things you don't want. It doesn't matter," Sora said, handing Tai the plate. He took it, and began eating, like a person who hasn't eaten in works.   
  
  
  
She smiled a little knowing that he wasn't going to be wasting food. "Why don't you have a home?" she asked him suddenly.   
  
  
  
Tai stopped eating. He had no excuse. He'd just have to make it up along the way. Then again, he was never that creative. "I... I ran away when I was... ten..." he began.   
  
  
  
Sora took a chair, sitting in the corner of the room, and sat down on it.   
  
  
  
"Someone took me it, but after that, she died. People didn't know that she had a fifteen year old boy with her, and they had no records that I was adopted or something, so they tried to put me in a foster home. It didn't work out for me there, and the gave me back to the agency. I was moved... uhh... seven times in just one year from home to home. That last time, I couldn't take it anymore, so I ran away from them too. In other words, I've been wandering around aimlessly for a year." '_Well... I only stuttered once_.' he thought.   
  
  
  
Sora nodded, but some things didn't fit in. How did he own such expensive clothes, and that watch. It must have cost at least two hundred dollars. (**Sorry, I don't know jack about yen, except it's yen and the Japanese use it as money** ^_^.)   
  
  
  
  
^o^   
  
  
  
  
The next day, Sora had to go to school. Her mom was signing Tai up for the same school too. He was still young and it was the law for people under the age of eighteen to be in school. Tai didn't refuse. There would be a lot of people there. Maybe he would be able to cause a lot of mischief.   
  
  
  
"Does he have a birth certificate?" asked principal Ame.   
  
  
  
"No... the foster agency is still looking for his files," said Mrs. Takenouchi.   
  
  
  
"I see. As soon as you get them, show them to me. Now all you have to do is sign these papers, get these forms filled out by doctors, and by you, and... well... after that, hand them all into the office and he's ready to go! Oh, and he needs to take a test to see which class we should put him in."   
  
  
  
"Thank you."   
  
  
  
Tai just sat there, quiet. What was he going to do about the papers? He excused himself, and went to the bathroom.   
  
  
  
"Lord Oni, I need papers to be made for some foster agency," Tai said, inside one of the stalls, using his communicator watch.   
  
  
  
"Is that so...?" asked a deep ominous voice.   
  
  
  
"Yes sir," Tai said. He was curious as to why Lord Oni sounded angry.   
  
  
  
"Well... you wouldn't need my minions to make it if you hadn't caught a damn cold you bastard!" yelled the voice through the communicator.   
  
  
  
"It's a fever sir," Tai said. He was beginning to get scared. What if Lord Oni just killed him now? No. He wanted to live.   
  
  
  
"**WHATEVER**!!! Fine. The papers will be sent in thirteen hours... Stupid idiot. I can't believe that you're living with them... then again.. once you get closer to the girl... the better... She'll listen to you more. Great job then. Keep up the good work..."   
  
  
  
"Thank you sir," Tai said, as he ended their conversation. He turned the watch off. '_Geeze... talk about a quick mood swing_...' he thought, as he walked out of the bathroom.   
  
  
  
  
^o^   
  
  
  
  
"...So... is he cute?" asked Mimi. One of Sora's best friends.   
  
  
  
"Mimi! How could you ask that... you _know_ I'm not like that! He just lives with us because he's got no home. Besides, he'll probably run away from us," Sora said, as the two walked out of their class.   
  
  
  
Sora looked up to see a familiar figure walk out of the bathroom. '_Tai! I forgot that my mom was going to put you back in school!_' she thought.   
  
  
  
"Who's the new guy?" Mimi asked, looking at the same guy.   
  
  
  
"That's him," Sora said.   
  
  
  
"Ooh... he's cute!"   
  
  
  
Sora stared at her friend disbelieving. "Mimi! Shh!" she said, to her friend, as Tai looked over at the two girls. Mimi beckoned him to come over.   
  
  
  
"What's up?" he asked.   
  
  
  
"This is my friend Mimi. She thinks you're cut-" Sora began, but she was cut off by her friend. She stared laughing at Mimi's beet red face.   
  
  
  
"I think you're... uhh... clothes are just cut out for this school! Too bad that we have to wear uniforms though... heh..." Mimi said, making up a last second lie.   
  
  
  
"Well... I think you're pretty cute too," Tai said, winking at Mimi.   
  
  
  
"I'll see ya later, your mom and I are gonna go and buy stuff at the grocery store. Want something?" he asked, turning his attention to Sora.   
  
  
  
"It's fine," Sora said, waving off the offer.   
  
  
  
"Your loss..." Tai smiled, as he walked off to the principal's office.   
  
  
  
"Oooh... You are _SO_ lucky Sora!!!" Mimi squealed with delight.   
  
  
  
  
^o^   
  
  
  
  
"I'll find the other things," Tai said, splitting the grocery list in half.   
  
  
  
"Okay... well.. then thank you," Mrs. Takenouchi said gratefully.   
  
  
  
  
^o^   
  
  
  
  
Tai looked around the isles for anything that he wanted. He didn't have money, and he needed the Takenouchi's to like him, so he didn't want to spend their money. He took a couple of candy bars, snacks, and all the other good stuff (^_^), and hid them inside of his jacket. He ripped off the little white labels, so the alarms wouldn't go off.   
  
  
  
(**Hmm... what really does set off alarms in grocery stores? I've always thought they were the bar codes**...)   
  
  
  
  
^o^   
  
  
  
  
"Hey, wanna go somewhere tonight?" Tai asked Sora, as Sora did her homework.   
  
  
  
"I can't, I'm sorry. I have so much homework to do..." Sora said, although the offer seemed so fun.   
  
  
  
"Come on. It'll be fun. Besides that. I know everything you're learning right now, so I can do half your work for you after. What do you say?"   
  
  
  
"My mom would never let me... Besides, you doing my work is just wrong. I can't do that... It's practically a sin..." Sora said, laughing. She thought that Tai was joking about that, so she just forgot about it.   
  
  
  
"I'm serious," Tai said. He touched her shoulder to get her attention away from the books. "Please? Show me around the place?" he asked.   
  
  
  
"I'll have to go ask my mom first..." Sora said, but Tai stopped her.   
  
  
  
"Why the need? You said that she wouldn't allow you to go, so if you never ask, and she never says no, then it's not a bad thing, right?" Tai smirked.   
  
  
  
'_Oh man... there I go again, looking like a complete dork in front of him. He just seems so cool... and me so... well... up tight about everything. Maybe I could learn to be care-free from him. Besides, that's what Mimi told me to do. Loosen up a bit_.' Sora thought. She smiled at Tai, and nodded, and he opened up her bedroom window. He locked her room door, and turned the volume of the radio loud enough so that Mrs. Takenouchi would think that the two of them were still there.   
  
  
  
'_Yes... strike two..._'   
  
  
  
  
^o^   
  
  
  
  
**Author's Notes:** Sorry if the chapter's a little too short. I don't usually like doing that anymore, but I've got a head ache from the bright light of my computer. Next chapter, I'll try and make it longer. Ooh man I'm hungry... Please review! Hope that you enjoyed! 


	3. Feelings and Flashbacks

  
  
  
  
**Authors Notes:** Thank you for the information about the yen thing taidigimon!!! I'll try to remember that, and use it later on in other chapters or stories.   
  
  
Another thing: Sex is a bad thing only when a person is doing it for the hell of it, like with everyone they meet (I mean seriously... diseases!), cheating on other people, if a person is raped, prostitution, or if you're religious, if two people are not married and have sex. It's a sin!!! I really don't think that you'd care about my opinion on it, but I think that having sex when you're not married is a sin. Besides, I think that the world has too much pregnant teens to last us a life time... and... is it just me, or is the world getting a little too crowded now... hmm...   
  
  
**Disclaimer:** I'm bored, so I'll just put it. I don't own Digimon... sadly. If I did I would obviously make the official couple Tai and Sora, and I would have put a lot more hints along the way in the show... but that's just me. ^_^ Enjoy!   
  
  
  
**A Devil's Halo:** _Part Four_   
**_'Feelings and Flashbacks'_**   
  
  
  
^o^   
  
  
  
"You know better than to go out of the house late at night Sora Takenouchi!" Mrs. Takenouchi said, keeping her voice clam, but harsh, as she paced around the room.   
  
  
Sora kept her eyes to the ground. She was ashamed of what she did. She had never acted so irresponsible before in her life... but the feeling of it was exhilirating! She loved it, and now she couldn't safely say that she was never going to do it again. '_Loosen up_!' was the thought in her mind, and she was going to listen to it... hmm... every now and then, not all the time, or it would start her mind up with things more sinful than just sneaking out of the house during curfew. '_Curfew... none of my other friends have it... but my mom always said it was for the better... she usually tends to be right, so I should listen to it_.' Sora thought.   
  
  
"...Especially with _that boy_! You don't know what what he's capable of! He's been out on the streets for a _year_, and I don't understand how you could have just gone off with him like that!" Sora's mother continued, as she lowered her voice even more, for she didn't want Tai to hear it.   
  
  
"I'm sorry mom. I know that what I did was wrong... I don't know what came over me," Sora said, finally looking at her mom in the eyes.   
  
  
Her mother nodded, and sent her off without a punishment. She knew Sora better than that, she would never do that again.   
  
  
  
^o^   
  
  
  
Tai looked at himself in the mirror. Every night... _every night_, for the past three days, his eyes always turned red. If Oni turned him into a human on Earth, then why did his eyes change to red at night?   
  
  
Tai contacted Oni once again to ask. It wouldn't hurt to ask. Besides, it seemed important, so Oni probably wouldn't get as mad.   
  
  
"What is it this time you _imbecile_? I was trying to take a nice beauty rest."   
  
  
Tai smirked a little hearing that. He was the ugliest creature alive in hell, and no matter how much sleep he might get, that face would never get prettier. In fact, the more sleep... the more appalling... unless that's what beauty meant to his master. Tai suppressed a laugher in his throat. "I was wondering sir... My eyes turn red every night, when the moon rises. What's it supposed to mean?"   
  
  
"_Fool_. It's meant for you to remember that you are still a demon within, and no matter how deep you feelings will be be on Earth again, you can't change the fact," said Oni.   
  
  
"How deep my feelings get on Earth? What do you mean?" Tai asked.   
  
  
"You irritating _ass_! Fine, last question. Sending a worker down from either Heaven or Hell is the most dangerous thing that the high commanders can ever do, but every once in a while they send them down for a little business. It's dangerous, because sometimes, the workers get attached to certain things, mainly people. They fall in love, and somehow, they find ways to really be alive again. It's a shame because none of the high commanders could send one of their workers down as just a spirit, or in their normal heaven or hell form. They must turn them into humans, and humans get... feelings... I'm sickened with just the sound of that word. Now. Stop bothering me. I'll tell my minion to send to a book about it tomorrow!" Oni said. When he was finished, he quickly cut off the connection.   
  
  
Tai nodded. '_It's not like I'll ever get attached anyway. I've always hated Earth... no wonder I committed suicide..._' he thought, as he crawled back to bed.   
  
  
  
^o^   
  
  
  
A couple of days have passed and Mrs. Takenouchi had finally gotten the papers from the agency, which means that Tai's now admitted to Odaiba High...   
  
  
  
^o^   
  
  
  
"Well Taichi Kamiya. I'm actually expecting to see your homework today... and don't give me the answer that your dog ate it again, because I know for a _fact_ that you don't own a dog," said Ms. Kawazaki.   
  
  
"Okay them miss, you caught me! I admit it," Tai said, hanging his head down. "_I_ ate my homework." There were snickers coming from scattered places in the room. Others were just smiling, waiting for more trouble.   
  
**(A/N: Can you just imagine Tai shoving a whole paper down his throat and swallowing? :::People cheering::: Shove Tai, shove!!!)**   
  
Tai folded a piece of paper into an airplane, and let it fly... straight into Ms. Kawazaki's face! Now the whole class was uproariasly laughing.   
  
  
Ms. Kawazaki's face turned red from anger. Tai didn't seem to mind. The class continued to laugh. Sora on the other hand wore a look of disbelief, embarrassment, and annoyance. Ms. Kawazaki then sent Sora to bring Tai to the principal's office.   
  
  
  
^o^   
  
  
  
"Ever since you came to this school, all you've ever done was cause trouble! I don't get it! What's your _problem_?!" Sora asked, visibly annoyed.   
  
  
Tai crossed his arms, and stared blankly ahead. "Hell if I know," he said, laughing at his own inside joke.   
  
  
"Ahh!" Sora yelled, as she threw her hands up in the air and just walked off ahead of him.   
  
  
Tai watched her walk off, then he crept into the boys bathroom, planted the age old prank: a stink bomb, then he went over to the girls bathroom and did the same thing.   
  
  
  
^o^   
  
  
  
The next thing they knew, the two of them were receiving retribution: Tai, for doing his pranks, and Sora for letting personal feelings get in the way of watching guard over him. The two had clean up duty everyday after school for six weeks.   
  
  
  
^o^   
  
  
  
Sora sat on her bed staring at the ceiling. She hated that day, and she hated that night when her mom had caught her out of the house. She hated Tai for getting her in trouble those two times. Never again will she listen to that boy. Besides that, when she asked him if he wanted to work together with her at night on the homework, he would refuse, locking himself inside of the room. Everyday he did that. Whenever he forgot to lock himself in the room, he would never face her, and quickly try to kick her out. Maybe she should get some things straight with that inconsiderate jerk. If ever he wanted to do something that would be considered a sin, he should just leave her out of it.   
  
  
Sora stood up, and walked out of her bedroom door. She walked across the hallway to Tai's room, and knocked heavily, showing her anger. "Tai! Open up! I have to talk to you!" she said.   
  
  
  
^o^   
  
  
  
Tai looked over at his clock: Seven. His eyes usually turned red at around eight, so maybe he could just talk to her for a while. He opened the door, and Sora walked right in.   
  
  
"Don't talk, just listen," she said, as she walked in front of him.   
  
  
Tai gave her a blank stare. '_Now what_?' he thought.   
  
  
"If you want to go and have '_fun_' or whatever... Get in trouble yourself. Some how, _I_ always get into trouble with you. Okay, I admit the part about us sneaking out was partially my fault, but _you_ asked me, and I just wanted to be nice... Not a very good excuse, but... and that time with the stink bomb. I can't believe you! At first I thought that you were a pretty okay guy, that was up until I noticed that ever since I met you, I did three things that I would have never done before!" Sora said, sticking three fingers up in Tai's face. "**THREE**!!!"   
  
  
"Okay... not entirely _my_ fault..." Tai said, but Sora cut him off.   
  
  
"_Quiet_! If it weren't for you, my school records would still be clean, but now, if I ever want to go to college, I might never get the chance to because _you_ trashed my record! I blame _you_!" Sora said, poking Tai on his chest.   
  
  
Tai grabbed her wrist, and held it tight. "Don't you dare blame _me_ for the things that happened. It was _your_ choice! Besides, when the teacher told you to 'escort' me to the office, you could've just refused," Tai said in a matter of fact tone, letting her go.   
  
  
"I _can't_ refuse! Don't you understand? I don't want to lose my teacher's respect! If I ever refuse... then my teacher would give me bad marks on my report card... then I can never go to a good college, and then..." Sora said, as her anger just suddenly melted into sadness. "Forget it, why am I telling you about this?" she said, as she wiped upcoming tears from her eyes.   
  
  
Tai gave her that same blank stare, and Sora just left after that. He wasn't going to ask. Stupid humans, always getting emotional. 'Probably crying about stupid grades...' he thought, as he laid back on his bed. He closed his eyes, feeling a little warmth come on them. '_They turned red earlier than usual_...'   
  
  
  
^o^ ***Flashback*** ^o^   
  
  
  
**"Where is she mom?" A little boy, with a great mop of brown hair said, looking at his mother pleadingly for an answer.   
  
  
"She's in a good place honey. Don't worry about it. She's happy now," the woman said, as she hugged her son. She tried to hide the tears from him, for fear that he too would start crying.   
  
  
"What does that mean?" asked the young boy.   
  
  
"Honey," she said, turning the little boy to face her, "Kari's not in pain anymore. She's in Heaven, and she's happy there."   
  
  
"When is she coming back?" his bottom lip began to quiver, he really didn't want he the answer he _knew_ his mom would give him.   
  
  
"You have to realize that she's not going to come back anymore sweetie, but she'll always be with us..." She couldn't finish her sentence, and she just broke down crying. Mother and son stood in the middle of the hospital hallway crying.**   
  
  
  
^o^ ***End of Flashback*** ^o^   
  
  
  
Tai tried to block that memory from his mind, and ever since he became a demon, it never returned. Since he was once again human, the bad memories would just come back to him. Each and everyone one.   
  
  
  
^o^   
  
  
  
After school that day, Tai and Sora were once again searching the janitor's closet for cleaning tools.   
  
  
"...So... where's your dad anyway?" Tai asked nonchalantly, looking though a pile of rags, for the cleanest one.   
  
  
Sora froze. She didn't want to talk about it, especially to someone like him. It was his fault that they were stuck here doing this in the first place. Why would she have to tell him? So what he lived with her? It didn't matter. She could keep everything she wanted inside, and never tell a soul. Besides, Mimi was her best friend, and if she couldn't tell Mimi about it, she would defiantly not tell Tai. "You know it's rude to just ask questions like that," she said instead. "Ah ha!" Sora took the floor wax, and rag from the closet, and waited for Tai.   
  
  
"Geeze, sorry ma'am," Tai said sarcastically. He found a clean rag, and the desktop cleaner, then he lightly kicked the closet closed. "You know what'll be fun?" His face light up, and his lips curved to a mischievous smile.   
  
  
Sora saw the glint in his eye, and she shook her head, "No... no no no _no_!!! I've already talked to you about this. If you want to go do something, don't do it while I'm even around, because they'll only blame me for the not keeping watch over you! Anyways, how old are you?" She remembered that she had never asked him that question before, and she was curious.   
  
  
Tai gave her a lopsided grin, and said, "You know, it's rude to just ask questions like that."   
  
  
Sora scowled. '_This guy's getting irritating_!' she thought, as she began waxing the floor the old fashioned way. The principal wouldn't let her or Tai use the electric waxer, and she had a pretty good idea why.   
  
  
"Okay, I'm kidding. Sixteen," he said. "You?"   
  
  
"Same. When was your birthday... or when is your birthday?" Sora asked, trying to scrub some gum off the floor, with a heavy metal brush.   
  
  
'_I don't have one now... after fifty years, I think I kinda forgot when my birthday was... I can tell you my death day..._' he thought, smiling at the picture that arose in his mind: Sora would be cramped up at the corner stuttering '_Y-you-you- -...Your d-d-earth d-da-day?_'. "Ju...ne... _thirteenth_ on a _Friday_," he smirked. This oughta make her at least a little creeped out.   
  
  
"Oh really? That's cool, so you're older than me by... six months," she said. She didn't even look weirded out. She just smiled and kept working.   
  
  
"December... hmm... I hate the snow," Tai said, frowning at the idea that if he didn't quicken up her sinning, he'd have to touch snow again. '_Bad memories..._' he thought, with a twinge of sadness.   
  
  
"Why? It's so beautiful, especially during Christmas!" Sora said, standing up from her position. She spread her arms out and began to spin, raising her face up to the ceiling, imagining snow falling down on her.   
  
  
Tai watched as the girl turned. He could just imagine her in the snow; she would look just like those figures in the snow globes he'd seen in one of the windows of a gift store. "Because it kil-" Tai began but caught himself.   
  
  
Sora stopped her spinning, and she stared right at him. "Killed who?" she asked.   
  
  
Tai turned around. "Forget it. It was a long time ago, it's not like I even cared..." he said, he took a deep breath and exhaled. 'Feelings' were coming back to him, and he tried to block it away from his memory.   
  
  
Sora shrugged uncomfortably, and turned around to continue her work once again.   
  
  
Just then, in front of Tai, a huge red, leather book dropped out of the sky, literally. Tai was surprised at first, but then he took time to read the title of it: **Hell's Messenger's Questions and Answers for Everything**. '_Oh man..._' he thought. This was one large book, and how was he supposed to hide it? He ran out of the room to his locker, and stuffed his book inside the backpack he had in it.   
  
  
"Hey! Where are you going?" Sora asked, as she dropped all her work and ran after him.   
  
  
Tai slammed his locker shut and turned around to face her quickly. "Just forgot a worksheet..." he said, smiling sheepishly at her.   
  
  
'_Worksheet...? When was the last time I've ever heard Tai say "**worksheet**"? Then again... when was the first time I've ever heard him say it?_' Sora thought, suddenly getting suspicious. She tried to look behind Tai. '_Another one of his pranks_?'   
  
  
Tai walked over to Sora. He placed his hands on either of her shoulders, and turned her back around towards the classroom that they were cleaning up.   
  
  
  
^o^   
  
  
  
"We've been here for a really long time now, don't you think Tai..." Sora said, looking outside the window, at the setting sun.   
  
  
Tai suddenly became nervous. They had to clean up the room now, since it was Saturday **_(A/N: Saturday is Japan's Friday... I figured that out a long time ago, but I made a mistake in my other fic...)_**. The principal would defiantly want his school cleaned up, for the one day that students wouldn't be there. It wasn't like Tai cared or anything, but he still wanted Sora's trust. She figured out that he got her into trouble, so he would lay low for a while until she forgot. Beside the point... since it was become dark... his demonic side would remind him of his true self once again. It wasn't like he would forget though, but there was no way of stopping it.   
  
  
"What time is it?" he asked, keeping his head down just in case he began to feel that slight heat.   
  
  
"Seven forty-three about..." Sora said, looking at the classroom clock.   
  
  
'_Shit... I'm screwed. Plus it's not like Sora would be too happy to see me lock myself inside of the boys' bathroom. There must be a way to stop this... If only I could get to the book without that girl following me..._' Tai thought. Just then he came up with a simple idea. '_It's not like she's crazy enough to follow me to the bathroom..._'. "Look Sora. I have to umm... _go_..." he said. '_Man this is embarrassing..._'   
  
  
"Huh? No, we're not done yet," Sora said, standing up, looking a little annoyed at him.   
  
  
"No... I mean..." Tai said looking around. "_Nature calls_..."   
  
  
Sora formed a little 'o' with her mouth, and blushed from embarrassment.   
  
  
Tai ran to his locker, took out the book, and went to the bathroom, slowly looking through pages.   
  
  
  
**ºRed Eyesº**   
  
  
  
**_~There is absolutely no way of removing them. Asking your master will not help, for it is also beyond their powers.~_**   
  
  
  
"**Shit**!" Tai said out loud.   
  
  
  
^o^   
  
  
  
Sora was passing through the boys' bathroom to get to the last classroom that had to be done, but she suddenly stopped when she heard Tai curse. She shut her yes for a second, trying not to laugh. '_Someone's having a hard time in there..._' she thought, smiling to herself.   
  
  
  
^o^   
  
  
  
Tai stepped out of the bathroom, upset that he had no plan. He couldn't just leave. Besides, the principal was still here and she wanted to see the clean-up that he and Sora did, throughout the afternoon and night. It was their punishment, and he might as well go along with it. '_Just try to find sunglasses..._' he thought, searching through his back pack for the shades that he bought when he first came down to Earth, and putting the huge book back.   
  
  
He finally found them, but decided to just wear them when he felt the heat coming. He went back to the classroom, and noticed that Sora wasn't there anymore. He grabbed his things, and went to the last classroom that they hadn't cleaned up.   
  
  
  
^o^   
  
  
  
As Tai entered the room, Sora began snickering. "Had fun?" she asked, with a smirk on her face. '_Okay so this is wrong, I know, but still... it was funny... If this is called loosening up... this is fun_!' she thought.   
  
  
Tai looked bewildered. "What?" he asked, putting his things down.   
  
  
Sora just smiled, and turned back to her work. "Oh I found this really interesting snow globe. I left it in my backpack... I was supposed to give it to my mom during Christmas, but I totally forgot about it. It's really beautiful... and I... Maybe it'll make you like the snow just a little bit more?" she asked, taking it out, and handing it to Tai.   
  
  
Tai took it in his hands, and stared at it. There was Santa floating above the streets of Tokyo, and there was this one car off near the back that was going off into a street near the cliff. That car wasn't particularly highlighted, but to Tai it was. He stared horrified at it, and accidentally dropped it.   
  
  
  
^o^ ***Flashback*** ^o^ **  
  
  
  
"You said that you were going to come over and watch my soccer game dad!" say a young adolescent over the cellular phone.   
  
  
"I know, I'm sorry Taichi. I know that I promised, but there was a huge traffic jam-" the older man began, but he was cut off.   
  
  
"A promise is a promise!" said the insecure boy.   
  
  
"I know but-" the man began again.   
  
  
"You weren't even there for Kari's funeral! You weren't even there fore anything! What the hell are you doing there that's more important than every other damn thing that's happening here?" yelled the boy.   
  
  
"So this isn't just about me being late for Christmas is it?" the man tried to reason with his son, but his son didn't want any reasoning as he continued to yell at his father.   
  
  
"_Fuck you_..." said the boy with a chilling tone in his voice. "Since whatever the hell you're doing seems more important than the past events of this year, why don't you just go back? You _ass hole_! I can't believe I called you my dad! I wish you never come home for Christmas!!!" he said finally.   
  
  
"Tai... you have to understand-- Wait son, I have to--" said the man, panic rising in his voice. There was a pause, and then he finally said, "I love you both very much--"   
  
  
With that, there was screaming from the young boy's father, screeching, a loud colliding of metal, and then silence.**   
  
  
  
^o^ ***Flashback*** ^o^   
  
  
  
"Hey! What did you do that for!" Sora asked.   
  
  
Tai stared horrified at the broken snow globe.   
  
  
Sora stared at him. He didn't look too well. Maybe it was just an accident. Besides, she could buy other snow globes out there. "Are you okay?" she asked, looking into his eyes.   
  
  
Tai stared transfixed at the broken shards of glass and water. "I told him that I never wanted for him to come home... and he died..." he said, in a low, depressed voice.   
  
  
"Who?" Sora asked confused. "...Was it... your dad...?" she asked, taking the wildest guess she could make.   
  
  
"Yeah..." Tai answered, without hesitation.   
  
  
Sora sat down beside him. "My dad died too. It was from a plane crash..." she said, also staring at the broken snow globe on the ground. "He told me that he once dreamt of owning a really beautiful house with a huge garden because my mom always loved gardens and flowers. The fact that he didn't have enough education pulled him away from that dream. I promised him that I would work very hard to get into a good college. Then he had to go off, to see his sister and her new baby... but the plane crashed... I never told anyone this before..."   
  
  
"Thanks..." Tai said, turning to face her. He had warm tears forming just at the bases of his eye lids, and he tried hard not to make them fall, causing more heat to his eyes.   
  
  
Sora stared in horror at the sight in front of her. Tai's eyes were glowing red...   
  
  
  
^o^   
  
  
  
  
**Author's Notes:** Sorry for the cliff hanger... I didn't know what else to put, and I don't know... I haven't really put up a lot of cliff hangers in any of my chapters or fics for a really long time, and I just wanted to see all of your reactions... Yes... I'm mean. So sue me. No... wait... that was a joke! :::Looks nervously at the men in suits, with the really nice leathery suit cases::: *Gulp* Lawyers...? How could you...?   
  
  
**Just to clear some things up:** Authors Notes: As the religious people know, when people commit suicide, heaven cannot forgive them for ending their life, because it's such a precious gift. Therefore, the people who commit suicide go to hell.   
  
  
  
  
**Questions? Answers? Complaints? Send them to me in an e-mail, or add them to the review.**   
  
  
**_Please review. I hope that you all enjoyed!_**   
  



	4. In Control

  
  
  
  
  
**Author's Notes: ** Just to tell the people who are reading '_Between Acts Truth and Real Life_', I'm putting that on hold for a while. I'm not going to say much about it, but if you want, read my profile, at the bottom, it talks about it... Just a little though.   
  
  
  
  
I'm not going to be here for about a month... Well... up until school starts at the end of August. My family and I are going out of the country... ^_^ Yay... I hope that you all remain patient. Oh and I'm sorry for the late chapter. I was writing '_Between Acts, Truth and Real Life_', and it took me a while.. but I never finished it. Now I'm writing this for you because summer school's almost done, and I'm about to say good bye for a while. Enjoy, and please review!   
  
  
  
  
ºuº   
  
  
  
  
**A Devil's Halo:** _Part Five_   
'_In Control_'   
  
  
  
  
ºuº   
  
  
  
  
Sora couldn't scream, she couldn't blink... hell, she couldn't even move. What kind of a person had glowing red eyes? Let me rephrase that... what in the world has _glowing_ _red eyes_?!   
  
  
  
Tai quickly turned around, and put his shades on. With that, he ran out of the classroom.   
  
  
  
Sora took a couple of minutes to recover. What if it was just a joke? Maybe a trick? Well he did just run out... maybe he did that to scare her, and let her get petrified while he ran for it, not having to help her out to clean the rest of the classroom. It that was the case... that ass. If it wasn't... well... what else could it possibly be? Who in the world could possibly have that? Those couldn't have possibly been contacts... could they? Contacts don't glow a floresant red now do they? If they did would peoples' eyes burn off? Too many questions, none of them answered fast enough. No. She had to question him. She had a right to. Besides, he lived with her mom and her, and they both deserved a good explanation.   
  
  
  
Sora stood up and walked out the door, after Tai.   
  
  
  
  
ºuº   
  
  
  
  
'_Now what do I do? I messed up badly. I should've known to keep track of the time_!' Tai thought, as he ran through the park. '_Damn feelings! Why did I have to accept Oni-sama's request? I cold have said no, and lived happily in hell, but no. I have to say yes, and now I'm down here, back on earth, having** feelings** and getting those damn flashbacks that I tried so hard to forget. I **hate** this... I hate being human. This is the reason why I killed myself in the first place. This is the reason why..._'   
  
  
  
"Stop your sulking you idiot!" Tai finally heard a voice say. He looked up into the sky, which he noticed was becoming a blackish-gray color, in spite of the coming nightfall. He noticed the clouds rolling, and he heard thunder accompany the voice.   
  
  
  
"I'm sorry master, but... isn't there a way that I can _not_ have feelings? Isn't there a way where I can just be the way I was down there?" Tai asked the sky.   
  
  
  
"No, there isn't, but you idiot! I can't believe that you were that slow as to show her your damn eyes. You stupid damn idiot! I should have just killed you when she saw your eyes, but that would cause the girl to go crazy... and then my plan wouldn't work anymore," said the voice.   
  
  
  
Tai sighed. He didn't know what to do now. He wanted to complete his job for his master. Besides, completing it was the only way to get back, or so he read from the book. "What do I do now?" he asked. Hopefully his master would help him out.   
  
  
  
"This is your problem now, not mine. You're on your own." With that, the voice disappeared.   
  
  
  
Sora stood in the bushes not far from the area. She heard a double voice coming from the sky. One octave higher, and one octave lower than a usual mature human's voice. She also heard Tai talking to it, calling it '_master_'. What in the world was going on? She walked closer, but as she did, she watched Tai take off his sunglasses. His red eyes appeared once again from behind the shades.   
  
  
  
Was this real? This couldn't possibly be happening.   
  
  
  
  
ºuº   
  
  
  
  
'_On my own... on my own... that bastard has no sympathy. After he sent me down here. I know that things aren't supposed to go the way his '**minions**' want it to go, but he wanted me to do this, so shouldn't he help out?_' Tai asked himself, as he paced back and fourth in his room. '_What if I stop doing my job first? Maybe he'll start helping me then? Yeah right_.'   
  
  
  
  
ºuº   
  
  
  
  
"A right way to approach someone... er... some_thing_ that seems evil without angering it..." Sora said to herself as she laid down on her bed to think. '_He's just at the other side of the hall idiot_!' she thought, fighting with herself to either go there and talk to Tai or to just never talk about it ever again. '_If I never talk about this with him... then how would I know if he's any danger? Those eyes... they seemed so evil... Maybe he's not human_...'. "Ha ha... yeah right..." Sora laughed at herself.   
  
  
  
There was knocking at her door, and she suddenly froze. "Uh... Wh- Who is it?" she asked slightly.   
  
  
  
"About what you saw..."   
  
  
  
Sora sat straight up from her bed. '_Holy crap... No... Not now... I don't want you in here... you monster_!' she thought.   
  
  
  
"We have to talk about it..." said the familiar male voice on the other side of the door.   
  
  
  
"N... Not right now... Ahhh... I... I'm doing homework you see... and I c-can't possibly talk to yo-you... umm..." she said nervously.   
  
  
  
"Yes you can, and we need to talk now." his voice was firm and stubborn.   
  
  
  
Sora sighed. There was nothing she could to about that. She swung the door open, and stared at him with the best '_Sora_' look she could possibly give him, just to look normal, and not freaked out. The two haven't even talked for the whole day yesterday following that incident.   
  
  
  
"Look. What you saw yesterday. It isn't what you think it was," Tai began.   
  
  
  
"So what do you think I am? _Stupid_? _Insane_? Well just to tell you boy, I'm none of those two, and whatever else you think I am. I am a perfectly normal human being and I have nothing weird going on in my head. My brain's functions right, and so are my eyes. Now tell me, what the hell did I see yesterday? What the hell did I _hear_ yesterday? Who the hell is your master? Answer me!" Sora said. Her normally soft voice, turned loud, and rough. She stared at Tai straight in his eyes.   
  
  
  
Tai froze. Okay. He could have explained about the eyes, but the conversation with him and Oni? He couldn't explain that. He swallowed hard and just continued to back at her.   
  
  
  
"Why can't you just tell me what's going on? After my mom had been so kind as to let a complete stranger just waltz in here and board in our home, and even send him to school... I can't believe that you can't give me an explanation about what's going on. My mom and I deserve to know what's going on. May I remind you that I saved you from the rain? May I remind you that _I_ was the one who took care of you while you were sick? Did you forget this? If you didn't... _ANSWER ME_!!! I have to know! You're not human. That's the conclusion that I came up with. Now, give me yours," Sora said, she breathed deeply, surprised that she even had it in her.   
  
  
  
Tai looked down at the ground. Okay. So she found out that he wasn't human. There's a place to start. It wasn't a good place, but it was a place none-the-less. "You're right," he said.   
  
  
  
Sora glared at him to see if he was lying. He's not a human being. He's kidding. He's got to be. There was no way in hell that this guy... _guy_... _person_ standing here wasn't really a person at all. "Yeah. Right, and I see dead people," she scoffed.   
  
  
  
Tai swallowed hard again. Either this girl was psychic, or she was just a really great guesser. "You might just be right..." he trailed off to look at her facial features go from angry to frightened beyond belief.   
  
  
  
Sora took a step back. "Get out," she said firmly, trying hard not to let her voice shake. "Get out! Get out! _Get out_!!! My mom and I don't take liars in this house. Get out you _freak_!!!" she said. Her voice was rising to a panic.   
  
  
  
Tai walked up to her, and shut her mouth. There was no other way then. He'd just have to go switch to a new plan that he had just thought up. He covered her mouth, and shut her door, just as he heard Mrs. Takenouchi walk in this front door. "Listen up girl... You have to understand, that that conversation I had was with Oni-sama. He is my master. Do you know who he is?"   
  
  
  
Sora shook her head, while Tai's hands were still placed over her mouth.   
  
  
  
"The ruler of all hell," Tai began. Sora's eyes widened. Tai just smirked. "Now I was sent here just for play," he lied. "I was just trying to find an innocent little human to play with. To be my puppet. A human that loves life. In other words. If you don't listen to everything that I possibly say, I will kill. If you tell a soul about this, I will kill you. I will know if you did. If you tell that person, I will kill them, and everyone else that they decided to tell. Got it? If you need proof, the glowing red eyes have no other explanation. Also the fact that I just happened to talk to the clouds and the clouds talked to me in return. That voice that you heard. You heard Oni. The purest evil in all dimensions. If you excuse me now, I have to go." With that, Tai left the room.   
  
  
  
Sora sat down in a corner of her bed, crying. She couldn't believe it. How did she get caught up in this. Plus, she told a demon one of her deepest secrets. She buried her face in her hands and began to cry some more.   
  
  
  
  
ºuº   
  
  
  
  
Tai flopped down on his bed. '_Ha ha... kill her..._' Tai thought. '_That was a good thing to say... even if I can't kill her with powers... What am I thinking? So I'm going to kill her with my bare hands if she tells people? Was that what I was implying? No... When I died, I only always planned on hurting myself. Not others_.' he thought, deeply disturbed with himself. '_I don't understand why I'm one of Oni's best. There are others more evil than I am, and he decides to make me one of his best... Maybe it's because of my ultimate hatred for life... Maybe that's why he sent me down to Earth again_.'   
  
  
  
  
ºuº   
  
  
  
  
Sora and Tai walked to school together the next day, but they were a bit early, so Tai decided to go to the local grocery store.   
  
  
  
"What are we doing here. We don't have any money," Sora said, looking around the isles.   
  
  
  
"We don't need money," Tai said, pushing her towards the snack isle.   
  
  
  
"W-What are you talking about?" Sora asked, worry creeping up to her voice.   
  
  
  
"I'll pick what I want, and you grab 'em, rip off the bar codes, and stuff 'em in your back pack. Got it? Remember, you've gotta listen to me. Now, do it," Tai said, pushing Sora towards the shelves.   
  
  
  
"I...I can't-" she began.   
  
  
  
"You like your life though don't you?" Tai interrupted.   
  
  
  
Sora took a deep breath, and glared at Tai with contempt. Tai smirked at her, and Sora grabbed an item behind Tai, that he wanted. She ripped off the bar code with her teeth, all the while staring at Tai, then she shoved it in her backpack. "You _ass_..." she said, as he pointed out more things for her to steal.   
  
  
  
  
ºuº   
  
  
  
  
During school, Sora sat in the back of the row, obviously mad at the things that Tai made her do. She glared down at her paper, wanting nothing more than for Tai to just disappear into thin air, but that was highly unlikely. He wanted to toy around with her, and there was nothing she could do about it. There was no one she could tell, or she would just be putting their lives in danger.   
  
  
  
  
ºuº   
  
  
  
  
"What's wrong with you Sora?" asked Sora's friend Mimi. "You've been too quiet. Are you mad or something?" she asked, taking a guess.   
  
  
  
Sora just nodded. Tai looked up, alarmingly at her. Sora sighed, and just moved away from him. "Parents thing you know?" she lied.   
  
  
  
  
ºuº   
  
  
  
  
Tai laid down on his bed, and stared stright up at the ceiling. So... how much was that already...? Four sins now. '_Bad girl Sora... Bad girl_...' Tai thought, chuckling to himself.   
  
  
  
  
ºuº   
  
  
  
  
**Authors Notes:** Well, I think I've said everything at the top, just a reminder. I'm not going to be here for practically a month. I'll try to post in another chapter before I leave though. _Please review_.   
  
  
  
  
"_To love someone deeply gives you strength; being loved deeply, gives you courage_." **–Lao-Tzu**   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
. 


	5. Meeting Mom

  
  
  
  
  
  
**Author's Notes:** Hiya! Back home as you can tell. Anyways. This chapter goes out to my readers who wanted the evolution of the Taiora relationship. Hope you enjoy.   
  
Oh and by the way. For those of you who noticed... and didn't notice: **I changed my name**. For good this time. Oh.. and the way you pronounce it is in my profile. ^_^.   
  
  
  
  
**A Devil's Halo**: Part Six   
'_Meeting Mom_'   
  
  
  
  
**º¤º**   
  
  
  
  
"Wake up," said an annoyingly familiar voice, over Tai's head.   
  
  
  
He groaned, then sat up on his bed and stared blankly at his puppet. "What the hell do you want?" he asked, obviously angered at her intrusion on his wonderfully comfortable sleep.   
  
  
  
"I'm only a normal average human who needs education and money in order to survive, and well... If I can't work and get paid I might as well have you kill me because I couldn't support myself... and pay for my college tuition fee-" Sora began blabbing.   
  
  
  
"Just get to the point," Tai quickly said, before she could recite the whole unedited version of 'Romeo and Juliet'.   
  
  
  
"I have to go to work," Sora said, quickly.   
  
  
  
"So...?"   
  
  
  
"That means that I can't do any '_dirty work_' for you..._sire_."   
  
  
  
"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear the last part, and ask you why the hell you told me this?" Tai asked. He just wanted more sleep.   
  
  
  
"I just thought that you might think that I would have to... Eh eh.... Ahhh... Well it was just a little warning that I thought I should tell you before I leave... Just in case you pester my mom for my whereabouts-" Sora began again, slowing walking backwards out of Tai's room.   
  
  
  
He suddenly smiled and looked up at her. "I'm coming with you then." He caught on to what she thought he would do... her mistake. Now he would just have to annoy her even more and follow her around.   
  
  
  
  
**º¤º**   
  
  
  
  
"Where exactly _do_ you work?" Tai asked, as the pair walked down the sidewalk.   
  
  
  
Sora was still in a gloomy mood for letting her mouth run off like that. She promised herself to never, ever let that happen again. "Hmph!" was her reply.   
  
  
  
"Do you really think it's wise to ignore me like this?" Tai asked with a cocky tone of voice.   
  
  
  
Sora kept her eyes ahead of her, restraining herself from yelling and slapping him.   
  
  
  
Just then, he poked her. "You didn't forget that I can kill you, now did you?" he asked.   
  
  
  
Sora turned away from him, and crossed the street to the next block.   
  
  
  
Tai poked her again. He was just about to pull a double, when Sora suddenly grabbed his hand, and squeezed. "Do that again. Go ahead. I _dare_ you," she said menacingly, her eyes full of contempt.   
  
  
  
Tai smiled, and wrenched him hand away from hers. He poked her again. Everything else happened so fast. Sora looked up into the sky, and mouthed '_sorry_', before she raised her fist. Tai was knocked backwards on to his behind.   
  
  
  
"Shit! Why you little-" Tai said, standing back up, and advancing towards her. When she wanted something to stop, she meant it.   
  
  
  
"We're here," Sora interrupted. She had a smile plastered on her face for what she did.   
  
  
  
Tai just rubbed his injured cheek, and followed Sora into a building called '_Cre Oe_'. He shrugged. What the hell kid of place was this? Who calls buildings Cre Oe's? How do you even say that? He sighed... '_Oh well... at least that's five sins now_.' he thought happily.   
  
  
  
  
**º¤º**   
  
  
  
  
When the two walked through the rusted double doors, Sora walked over to the counter, pointed over at Tai, and disappeared into a room.   
  
  
  
Tai sat down on a chair that must have been about a thousand years old. There was hardly a cushion. In fact, it was just mostly the sponge that stuck out. Practically the rest of the couch was missing. In place of the parts, were huge holes. Tai shifted uncomfortably, noticing the musty smell, and the dust as he flopped down on it from the start. He stood up quickly, dusting himself off. '_What kind of a shit hole is this_?' he thought.   
  
  
  
"Wear this," Sora said, as she handed Tai a white garment.   
  
  
  
Tai jumped in surprise. He didn't even see her come out. He then quickly calmed down... a little. "What the hell's this?" he asked, staring blankly at the clothing.   
  
  
  
"It's just so the workers won't ask you to leave the building. Just put it on... unless you want me to go free for today?" she asked hopefully.   
  
  
  
Tai grabbed it, and Sora pointed to a grubby little room that he could change in. He read '_En's_'. He supposed that it was meant to say '_Men's_'.   
  
  
  
  
**º¤º**   
  
  
  
  
As the two walked through the building, the thought about what the building was called, crawled back to him. '_Sora should know_.' he thought. "By the way..." Tai began.   
  
  
  
Sora looked over his way, and paused her walking.   
  
  
  
"What does... uh... '_Cre Oe_' mean? Did I say it right?"   
  
  
  
Sora smiled. Her smiled turned into a light, amused laughter. For some odd reason, Tai wasn't angry that she was laughing at him. In fact, he was surprised to admit to himself that he seemed to enjoy the sound of her laughter. '_Might just be the dust_.' he thought, and brushed the feeling of enjoyment away.   
  
  
  
"It's supposed to say '_Care Home_', but the '_a_', '_h_', and '_m_' fell off years ago."   
  
  
  
"Why didn't anyone bother to fix it? And what's up with this place? If it's a care home, why don't the workers care for the people in the home? If they did, they would bother to clean this place up. It's almost as bad as hell," Tai said, as he looked around at the pale sunlight, trying to shine through the blinds that were still shut, although it was a beautiful day outside.   
  
  
  
Sora just shrugged, and the two continued on.   
  
  
  
  
**º¤º**   
  
  
  
  
The door Sora opened was one of very few rooms with newly painted doors. When Tai walked inside, he instantly caught a whiff of what smelled like roses. The smell was all too familiar. The room wasn't all too shabby. In fact, it could have been the best room in that whole building. It had fresh wall paper, and there was a neat little bed at the corner. There was a woman seated near a sliding glass door, leading to a porch.   
  
  
  
"I have to leave," Tai said, getting irritated by the smell. It was nice, but it brought back memories of his mother. The only family member alive when he committed suicide.   
  
  
  
"No. You can't leave this room, until I do, or they'll just kick you out. You may have the clothes, but you don't have the ID. Anyways... what's wrong?" Sora asked, as she lead Tai to a beautiful velvet covered couch. A very familiar velvet couch.   
  
  
  
Tai's eyes widened in horror. Was this woman...?   
  
  
  
"I'll be right back.. I'll get you a glass of water," Sora said, walking over to a crystal pitcher sitting on top of a chestnut drawer. Sora walked back over to him, handed him the water, and proceeded to the old woman sitting on her lounging chair. "Good morning Mrs. Yagami," she said, bowing for respect.   
  
  
  
"Sora." The woman addressed her rather harsh.   
  
  
  
"Is there anything that I can do for you today ma'am?"   
  
  
  
"No... Wait- Yes. There is," the woman said.   
  
  
  
Sora's face showed surprised, probably meaning that the woman hardly gave her anything to do. "What would it be ma'am?" Sora asked, keeping her voice soft, kind, and polite.   
  
  
  
The woman turned to Sora with a gentle smile on her face, as she picked up a beautiful crystal glass, filled with water. She brought it up to her lips, but stopped. Instead, she threw the cup towards Sora's direction. Sora had the time to duck.   
  
  
  
"Get out! Get out of my face you wench!!!" the old woman spat. Sora crept back towards Tai's end of the room, and she touched him lightly on the arm, motioning him to follow her out of the door.   
  
  
  
When the two came out, Tai and Sora heard muffled cries. "_He was about your age_..." "_He died... left me alone_..." "I_ hate you Sora... I hate..._" "_I want my baby back_..."   
  
  
  
Tai stiffened, and he strode towards the elevators. "We have to go. You heard the woman, she wants to be left alone."   
  
  
  
Sora just stared at the door woefully, before turning her back to it, and walking towards Tai and the elevators.   
  
  
  
  
**º¤º**   
  
  
  
  
Sora couldn't leave her job, until the end of dinner, which was about at seven, so the two walked around the cherry blossom-filled courtyard. It was the second area in that building that wasn't an eye sore.   
  
  
  
Sora sat down on a bench, and Tai followed her.   
  
  
  
"She lost a son you know," she said, as she intertwined her fingers.   
  
  
  
Tai just stared blankly forward. He didn't want to hear this, but if he said something, Sora would be suspicious. The last thing he wanted was for her to know that the woman was his mother.   
  
  
  
"He killed himself one night. She lost her daughter first from an incurable sickness... then she lost her husband because of a stupid drunk driver. Losing her son to suicide was the last straw," Sora said, as she pulled her fingers apart from each other, and rested them on her lap. "She tried marrying again, but it didn't work out. She would always yell at her husband, and their marriage was never consummated, so after just a couple of months, she filed for annulment. The rest of her younger years were spent doing drugs. She got pregnant about three more times, but she always aborted the child. After that, she ran away from that life, and she was found wandering the dark streets by cops. When they said that they would give her shelter, she refused, and tried to run away from them. They sent her to a mental hospital for thirty one years. When she came out, she was sent here."   
  
  
  
Tai looked down. He did this to her. He did this to his own mother. Now he realized that when he went to hell, it probably wasn't just because of the fact that he committed suicide. It was probably also because he made his own mother live through the worst hell possible. Losing her own family very slowly, and then... living a life filled with booze, drugs, and sex. No more love. "Dammit!" Tai yelled out into the open. He clutched his head in his hands, and guilty thoughts began drifting into his brain.   
  
  
  
"Tai?" Sora asked. What was wrong with him now? "Are you okay? What's wrong?"   
  
  
  
"Why do you even care? After what I did to you?" Tai asked, looking up at the girl.   
  
  
  
Sora shrugged. She was raised that way, always to forgive and forget. "It doesn't matter right now. What's wrong?" she asked. she moved closer to Tai, and rubbed his back awkwardly.   
  
  
  
"Nothing, I'm fine," Tai said. He was about to stand up, when Sora pulled him back down on the bench.   
  
  
  
"I know you're a sinner, so you must lie a lot, but I can see right through that lie. What's wrong? I can understand that you don't like me, but maybe just telling me what's wrong will help you."   
  
  
  
"Don't even bother," he snapped.   
  
  
  
Sora moved up to face Tai, eye to eye. "Look. When people keep all their feelings bottled up, they begin to go through this slow emotional breakdown. If too much guilt and sadness invade, then that person will become depressed. After depression, they think that there's nothing good in life anymore, and no one cares about them, and they just want to end their lives."   
  
  
  
Tai stared at her strangely. This was exactly the reason why he killed himself.   
  
  
  
Sora searched his eyes for any clue as to what was wrong with him.   
  
  
  
"How do you know all this?" Tai asked bewildered. "How could a girl like _you_ possibly know how it's like?"   
  
  
  
"I'm only human, I get depressed too," Sora said.   
  
  
  
Tai was debating on whether or not he should tell her. She was pretty helpful with that whole speech of hers, but telling someone something secret usually just made the people closer. That was the last thing he wanted. But... then again...   
  
  
  
Sora looked into his eyes again. "Well...?"   
  
  
  
'_To tell her, and risk the chance of getting closer to her, or not tell her and risk nothing_?' Tai asked himself.   
  
  
  
Somehow, he felt that with either choice he made, he would be risking getting closer to this unique, amusing, caring girl. Great, he even listed three reasons of why he felt he would be closer to her. What the hell was _wrong _with him?   
  
  
  
  
**º¤º**   
  
  
  
  
**Author's Notes**: Well. This is your next chapter. Maybe that's a good thing, maybe not. Anyways. Hope you enjoyed. Please Review. 


	6. Sora's Angel

  
  
  
  
  
**Author's Notes:** Okay, if anyone has read the revised version of chapter one, it says how Tai had found the name that he's chosen, oddly familiar.   
Another thing. If anyone had noticed, I only have five chapter... well... this is the sixth. I know that this story supposedly was supposed to have seven chapters by now, but as I was looking the fic over, I noticed a repeat of '_A New Place to Stay_' on chapters two and three. Now I'm not really sure if I had another chapter two, but it seems that I can't find one on my computer. Maybe I just made a mistake and posted up two of the same chapters? Don't know. Oh. By the way. Taiora is so not over! More details at the bottom. Please enjoy and review in the end!   
  
  
  
  
•º•º•   
  
  
  
  
After a couple of minutes thinking about his choices, Tai came up with one final answer. He was definitely not going to tell her. Instead, he turned his back to her, got up from his seat, and walked away.   
  
  
  
Sora stared at him with disbelief and anger. "Fine! Whatever! It's not like I really did care or anything anyways!" she spat at him, before she headed the other direction, to a different exit.   
  
  
  
Tai just scoffed, with his back still facing her. "I'm leaving. I have nothing to worry about anyway. The damn oldie doesn't even want to see your face, so I don't even have to give a damn if you're going to tell her. Besides, it's not like I don't want to kill you _now_. Saves me the trouble of making you do more sins... and annoying me-" Tai said, but Sora just walked away, without a turn of her head.   
  
  
  
  
•º•º•   
  
  
  
  
Tai walked back into the house using the key that Mrs. Takenouchi had given him for the front door. He walked back to his room, and laid down on the bed. Why was he thinking about ever getting close to her? Why did he turn all soft just for a couple minutes in that court yard? Besides that. Something else was also invading his mind. Why would Sora go to hell for making petty little insignificant crimes? Should he ask? He turned on his 'watch' and connected directly to Oni. He needed to know if he was doing his job right, counting the littlest of sins.   
  
  
  
"What in the blazing fires of hell do you want to annoy me with now?!" came a deep roar of hatred on the other line.   
  
  
  
Tai squeezed his eyes shut for a minute, quickly regretting calling his master. But he had to ask. He need to ask. It was killing him. "Master. I need to know..." Tai began.   
  
  
  
"Make it quick dammit!"   
  
  
  
"Yes sir. Well, am I counting the sinning that my project's doing, right? They're all just stupid little sins that heaven would probably forgive her for if she does enough good sins. Now if she kills people, that's another thing but-" Tai began, but Oni was a little too irritated with Tai's ramblings. He just needed to answer that load of bull, and disconnect.   
  
  
  
"We're in hell Otrisaki. We don't play by the rules," he said.   
  
  
  
"So we're cheating heaven...?" Tai asked.   
  
  
  
"We've always been. I've already explained it before. I don't feel the need to explain it once more," said the dark voice, before cutting off the line.   
  
  
  
Tai stared up at the ceiling over his bed once more. This was always his best thinking area. What else was on his mind again? Oh yes, about Sora...   
  
  
  
  
•º•º•   
  
  
  
  
'_What the heck is that guy's problem? What did I ever do to him except bring him in, and helped him get better? Well... Maybe I punched him, but that's pretty small compared to what he made me do... That guy... he has absolutely so shame. If I tell my mom, he'll kill her and me. I can't let that happen, but then again, I can't let a thing like him wander around the house..._' Sora thought. Just then the announcer called, and said that break time was over. Sora sighed. Once again... going back to the old woman who was just as ungrateful as Tai. After all that Sora ever did to her, she was treated like shit in that place. Of all people that she had to be stuck with.   
  
  
  
  
•º•º•   
  
  
  
  
Tai tried to erase his thoughts about Sora. Instead, he began to think about his mother... Was it destiny that Sora was taking care of her? No! No! Get her out of your head right now. That stupid, insignificant _human_. What's so special about her anyway? '_Maybe, it's because she's the first girl who's ever showed that she cares_.' One part of his mind said, but another part began to argue. '_She just said that she really didn't care. Besides, you said so yourself that you were never going to give into feelings. You're here for a job that you must finish in order to release yourself of all the horrible memories that came back, as you became human once again. Besides. Don't even dare admit that you might have a twinge of feelings for the human. She's your project, and that's all she'll ever be. Besides. You hardly know her_.' The other half of his mind thought up a good idea. '_Yes, but haven't you ever told yourself before you died that you wanted someone to be there, to listen to you, to care for you? You thought that you mother was too busy crying about her other lost loved ones that she forgot about you. You've always wanted someone to care. This girl may just be it_.'   
  
  
  
Tai brushed those thoughts away. What he needed now was aspirin. Yes. All this arguing in his head was giving his one hell of a head ache.   
  
  
  
  
•º•º•   
  
  
  
  
"One... two... three... four... five... One... two..." counted the red head, as she sat up, and laid back down again.   
  
  
  
"What are you doing?" said a voice from behind her, that scared her half to death.   
  
  
  
The girl stared up at the face, with the mass of hair attached to the top of the head. "Exercising, what do I look like I'm doing? Fishing?" she replied sarcastically.   
  
  
  
The boy gave her a slight chuckle, and squatted down next to her. "I didn't know you joined a sport," he said, showing her a picture of her old soccer team.   
  
  
  
"Well, now you do. What do you want?" she asked annoyed.   
  
  
  
"Nothing much. Just bored, so I decided to pay you a little visit."   
  
  
  
"Well don't like it. It's annoying. You hate me and I hate you. The only reason you're probably on this little '_visit_' is to check up on me and see if I'm telling anyone. Well I'm not, so deal okay? Just be bored by yourself, I'm tired of getting so mad at you Tai."   
  
  
  
Tai gave her a blank stare and said, "Well well, what happened to innocent, friendly little Sora?"   
  
  
  
"With you, there is none. Just leave me alone!" Sora said before gathering her things, and walking away from him.   
  
  
  
"Actually. I wanted to talk with you," he said sincerely.   
  
  
  
Sora stopped, and turned around. "Depends. What about?"   
  
  
  
"That woman you're taking care of-" Tai began.   
  
  
  
"Now don't you go start saying bad things about her. I know she's the exactly the friendliest, but after what she's been through, I think that she-"   
  
  
  
"It's not about that," Tai said, cutting her off annoyed. "I was wondering if she said anything about her son's name."   
  
  
  
"Yes, she did, but I didn't think that I would be quizzed on it later, so i didn't find it a very important thing to remember. Besides, it wasn't like she was going to start having friendly chats with me any time soon."   
  
  
  
"Does my name ring a bell?" he asked suspiciously.   
  
  
  
Sora paused. Then her face turned ghastly white. Then, she began to make a run for it.   
  
  
  
Tai ran after her, and before she could reach the gymnasium doors, she was pulled back forcefully but gently. **(A/N: Can that really happen? Forceful... gentle...? Ah well.)** "Look, I was wondering when I made up that name, if it was real okay? It just seemed too familiar when I said it to you. It was supposed to be just a created name. I completely forgot about my past name. When us minions are sent down here their first time from heaven or hell, they have absolutely no feelings or recollection of their past. The more we stay here, the more memories we get." Tai explained.   
  
  
  
"I don't want to hear this!" Sora said, covering her ears.   
  
  
  
"Listen dammit!" Tai said pulling her hands away from their current position.   
  
  
  
"I don't want to hear about the supernatural Tai! I just want to go back to my normal teenage life, but no! You've ruined it for me! Okay? Can't you just leave me alone for at least one day? I'm sick and tired of you! Every time I want to help you, you push me away. I'm tired of being treated like trash okay? I'm tired of it..." Sora said, breaking down into tears.   
  
  
  
Tai stared at her surprised. '_This can't just be about my mother or me... this must be something really serious_,' he thought. "I... I..." Tai began.   
  
  
  
"No. Just don't Tai. Whatever you'll say will just make it worse. No matter what you say, it will just make it worse. I have to go," Sora said, running out of the gym.   
  
  
  
'_What?_' Tai asked himself. "Girls," he said, before he too walked out of the gym.   
  
  
  
  
•º•º•   
  
  
  
  
"Hey, what's up man?"   
  
  
  
Tai turned around to see a blonde head bobbing up towards him from the student crowd. Once the boy reached Tai, he replied, "Uhh... generally the sky is but-"   
  
  
  
"Forget it. Look. I saw you hanging around with Sora the other day, and well, I was wondering... Are you really that close with her?"   
  
  
  
"Who _are _you?" Tai asked bewildered.   
  
  
  
"Yamato Ishida. Actually it's just Matt. I'm one of your classmates man. You know? The guy with the rock band?" he said.   
  
  
  
Tai raised an eyebrow. Who the hell _was_ this guy? And of all reasons, why did he come up to him about Sora? "O...kay..."   
  
  
  
Matt gave him an amused laugh and continued. "So...? Are you?"   
  
  
  
"No." Tai stated simply before rudely trying to walk away from the confused teen.   
  
  
  
"Look man," Matt started up again.   
  
  
  
Tai turned around obviously pissed. "What?"   
  
  
  
"A bunch of my friends are going to some hangout on Friday. I was wondering if you would like to come," Matt said trying hard to get on Tai's good side.   
  
  
  
"It depends. Are _you _gonna be there?" Tai asked.   
  
  
  
"Of course."   
  
  
  
"Then no." There was something about this guy that clearly made Tai hate him.   
  
  
  
"Look. I know," Matt said.   
  
  
  
"I'm not up for guessing games right now man. Just tell me what the hell you think is so damn important that _you_ have to bother _me_."   
  
  
  
"Can we talk about this after school?" Matt asked.   
  
  
  
Tai furrowed his brows. After school, maybe it would give him a time to cool down. He had no idea what made him hate this guy so much. There was just a certain aura to him... Maybe after school, he'd figure it out. "Fine," he said, stuffing his hands into his pockets, and striding away.   
  
  
  
"Good," Matt said, before walking away.   
  
  
  
'_Know what..._?' Tai thought.   
  
  
  
  
•º•º•   
  
  
  
  
After school, Matt had found Tai. During the school time, no one had bothered Tai, so he was in a pretty good mood. The problem was, the instant that Matt came near Tai, Tai had suddenly become mad once again.   
  
  
  
"Know what? Just tell me, and leave," Tai said. He really needed to get away from this guy before he beat the pulp out of him for some odd unknown reason.   
  
  
  
"How did you become so close to Sora, first of all. I just moved in the same day you did. Did you notice? I've been trying to catch her attention, but I never could."   
  
  
  
"Why the hell do you want he attention anyways?" Tai asked.   
  
  
  
"Because," Matt said, shortening the distance between them. "I'm her guardian angel."   
  
  
  
  
•º•º•   
  
  
  
  
**Author's Notes:** Sorry for the delay. Since it's school time again though, I was just thinking that maybe I'll just write every week. If I get enough reviews telling me to continue earlier, I'll probably do it. Thank you again for you reviews. I hope that you enjoyed. Please review again. ^_^.   
  
  
  
They found this manga that has so much Taiora in it, and it was just recent too. I'm just wondering if anyone knows how to read Japanese? If you know, please inform me. Thank you. You'll get a little Taiora reward in the end. ^_^. 


	7. Their Stories

  
  
  
  
  
**Author's Notes:** Wow... thank you for the reviews, especially you BudgerigarLT!!! I mean, you even took the liberty of e-mailing me your review, ^_^ THANK YOU!!! I'm dedicating this chapter to ya! Oh and by the way, you asked why Matt told Tai he's her guardian angel? It's answered at the end of the ficcie. If you don't really get it, it's answered on my end Author's Notes. Enjoy!!!   
  
  
  
  
^_^   
  
  
  
  
'_Either this guy's insane, or he's really telling me the truth_...' Tai thought, as he stared at the blondie in front of him. '_It would explain why I hate him so much_.'   
  
  
  
"You're not going insane. Angels can't lie," Matt stated.   
  
  
  
Tai stared at him with disbelief. "You can read minds?!" he asked surprised. He was getting even more angry. How dare this guy just invade his mind.   
  
  
  
"Only yours. Heaven-" Tai winced. "-Gave me this power in order to know what evil plots you're up to. I can't let you harm her."   
  
  
  
"I think I had that idea since you proved what you were."   
  
  
  
"Maybe we can make a deal-" Matt began.   
  
  
  
"The last time we made a deal with you _ass holes_, you blew us off-" Tai stared, his blood boiling.   
  
  
  
"Please. Can we refrain from using those types of wor-" Matt said calmly but Tai was too angry to control himself.   
  
  
  
He slammed Matt onto the wall and picked him up by his shirt. "Lookie here Mr. _Goody-two-shoes_. We don't make deals with you anymore. Your fucking calm attitude is pissing me off even more. Just leave me alone, and I'll leave you alone!"   
  
  
  
"I'm sorry, but I can't do that. You're going against our rules, and you're trying to harm one of our future angel's destiny. We can't just let you get away with it."   
  
  
  
"_Bitch!_ I _said _leave me alone!" Tai yelled, as he raised his fist up to Matt's face. The next thing he knew, his fist was bleeding, and he was yelling curse words in thirteen different languages. Somehow, Matt had the power to relocate himself.   
  
  
  
"I'm sorry but I can't do that, as I have said earlier- We'll talk about this later..." he said quickly, before dissipating into thin air.   
  
  
  
Tai looked around confused. Oni said that both Heaven and Hell couldn't bring down spirits without making them into human beings. How did this happen?   
  
  
  
"Tai?"   
  
  
  
Tai looked at where the sound of the voice came from. Behind him, he found Sora.   
  
  
  
"What are you doing here? It's been a couple of hours already... School's been done since forever," she said.   
  
  
  
Tai shook his head. '_What in the world just_...?'   
  
  
  
"I heard someone yelling and then I came to see who it was... Why is your fist bleeding?"   
  
  
  
Tai gave her a look of bewilderment. Why was she suddenly acting so nice to him, just after she yelled at him and left? "I... I..."   
  
  
  
"Come here..." she said, taking his hand. "You must have hit the wall pretty hard for some reason... Were you mad at it or something? It's bleeding like Niagra Falls!"   
  
  
  
"I... There was..." Tai tried to explain. How could he? Sora said that she wanted no more supernatural talk. '_It's not like you care about her feelings right_...?' his conscious asked. '_Of course you do_!' the other side argued. "Some kid pissed me off, but they ducked and ran away before I could-"   
  
  
  
"So you tried to punch someone this hard? What is it with you guys? Too much testosterone..." Sora said, shaking her head. She took out a piece of cloth she was sewing for Home Economics class and wrapped it around Tai's fist.   
  
  
  
"Thanks..." he muttered.   
  
  
  
Sora just ignored the way he said it, but concentrated on the word that he said. "Umm... lets take a walk... There was this question that I've been meaning to ask ever since you told me about... Mrs. Kamiya."   
  
  
  
Tai just nodded. If he could get Sora to trust him... then she would listen to him, and think that he was telling the truth if he lied about Matt, and how she had to stay away from him. **(A/N: Did that just make sense? Sorry...**) Didn't he try to make a plan like this before though? Didn't it back fire all too quickly? He would just have to try again.   
  
  
  
  
^_^   
  
  
  
  
As the two strolled around the park, Sora suddenly interrupted their silent moment with her anticipated question. "Is the reason why you went to hell just because you committed suicide? I mean you didn't do anything else but that? I know that it's a really bad sin to just kill yourself, but I mean, you didn't kill anyone?"   
  
  
  
'_Shit_...' Tai thought. '_How scary is that? A guy just kills himself, but besides that did nothing else that was bad? If I say yes, how intimidating will I still seem to her_?'   
  
  
  
"Well...?" she asked.   
  
  
  
'_Well_...?' both his consciences were asking. "Yeah." '_How could you tell her the truth you ass? Now she'll never listen to what you say_!' '_This is a good thing. Now that she knows you're not that evil, she'll be able to trust you a little more, she might even have sympathy for you_.'   
  
  
  
"I see..." she said, staring at the ground. "I'm sorry that you thought your life was that bad, that you had to go and kill yourself for it... I'm not blaming you, but the fact that I think suicide is one of the worst crimes anyone could do..."   
  
  
  
"Okay. Can we just stop talking about that now?" Tai snapped.   
  
  
  
"Sorry."   
  
  
  
"Whatever..." Tai said, looking away from her.   
  
  
  
"To tell you the truth, I know this might sound evil... but when my dad died. I was happy..." Sora began.   
  
  
  
Tai shot a look of confusion to her. When she talked about her dad... didn't she talk about him like she loved him that much?   
  
  
  
"I know... I'm confusing you and everything about what I said... but it's true. When I was born, my mom said that he never even once looked at me. When I was about ten, he alway treated me like trash. He would go away for weeks at a time to some unknown place. After a while, I found these pictures of this woman and a child just about my age. When my dad saw me looking at them, he yelled at me, and hit me until I blacked out. About five years later, my dad came home devastated. My mom never knew about his other family. Only I did. He began telling me about what happened. They died. His girlfriend and his son. They died because his girlfriend was drunk and she was driving on the snowy road on Christmas. After that, he began treating me like I was his world. A part of me loved it, and loved him, but another part of me would let go of the past. A couple weeks after that, he said that he had to visit his sister, but he was really going to his girlfriend and his son's grave.   
  
  
  
"When his plane crashed earlier that day, a huge part of me was relieved and celebrating because the only reason why he began to care about me was because his other family was dead, and I was the only one who knew about them so he could talk to me about them. I was happy, I was overjoyed in fact when I heard my dad's name as one of the bodies found. I was happy because that part of my life was gone. Now I could just live happily with my mother. I was also happy because I repeated to myself that my dad was there, possibly in hell, along with his other family. After a while though, I realized that I've been treating him so cruelly in my mind, and I decided to forgive him. I try to make it up to him, by studying hard, and making his wish come true for my mom." Sora ended.   
  
  
  
Tai noticed that while Sora was telling her story, the two of them found a bench and sat down. "What about your mom?" Tai asked. He found himself interested in this story of hers.   
  
  
  
"My mom of course was devastated, and she became depressed. Actually, about that dream my dad had. He wanted to give her that huge house so when he left her, she wouldn't be all too sad. Boy was he wrong. My mom loved him so much. Even after what he did to me. She loved me too, but my dad was in the spotlight when he died. So, even if my dad gave her this huge house, it wouldn't matter, because all that mattered was that he was there with her."   
  
  
  
"That's... you had a life equally as worse as mine... I'm sorry about that..." Tai said sympathetic. "And you didn't even... I mean you didn't just end your life after what your dad did to you."   
  
  
  
Sora gave him a bright, but teary smile. "What about you? What's your side of the story. I've already heard Mrs. Kamiya's."   
  
  
  
Tai took a deep breath. If he told her... Wouldn't this be sort of like confiding in her? He's never told anyone this before.   
  
  
  
"Look... you don't have to say anything-"   
  
  
  
"No, it's fine," he said, waving her off in mid-sentence.   
  
  
  
  
(/. _ .\)   
  
  
  
  
The two spent three hours there telling each other about their past, and for those three hours, both had forgotten about the reality. Sora was just Taichi's play toy, in his lie, and Tai was a demon.   
  
  
  
  
^_^   
  
  
  
  
"Can you hand me that one over there please?" Sora asked, as she rose high above Tai, on the ladder.   
  
  
  
"Which one?" he laughed. "Do you know what you're even doing?" he called to her.   
  
  
  
"Of course!" Sora said, giving him a play pout.   
  
  
  
"If you do, how come you don't even know what the tools are called?" The next thing Tai knew, there was gutter grime that landed on Tai's head.   
  
  
  
It had been a couple of weeks since their talk in the park, and ever since, the two just seemed to be everywhere together.   
  
  
  
Mrs. Takenouchi walked outside the front door, and saw the two teens helping each other clean out the rain gutter. She smiled, and walked back in. '_Don't want to disturb then in their little fun_...' she thought.   
  
  
  
  
^_^   
  
  
  
  
"Is he really beginning to become friends with her, or is this all just part of his plan?" asked the archangel.   
  
  
  
"I've read his mind, but he hasn't been plotting anything ever since that day in the park," replied Sora's guardian angel.   
  
  
  
"Interesting..."   
  
  
  
"I'll just keep an eye out, just in case Oni finds this out."   
  
  
  
In the shadows an '_angel_' stood, over hearing the two other angel's conversation. "Interesting... maybe my lord would like to hear of these facts..."   
  
  
  
  
^_^   
  
  
  
  
**Author's Notes:** So... how was it? I didn't have the internet for a while, so I decided to just write this while I had nothing else to do. Hope that you enjoyed, and please review! By the way, Matt really _is_ Sora's guardian angel ^_^.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	8. Oni's New Plan

  
  
  
  
  
**Author's Notes: ** Well, here I am. I'm very glad that you all reviewed. When I checked my mail this morning, I found six reviews. I know that they're not that much, but to me they are. ^_^. Six all in a row, and the seventh a day after, or some sort. Thank you all for the reviews. Thank you very much. I would like you all to enjoy every chapter that I make, although it's hard because my mind tends to get blank in the middle of my story writing. I'm just glad that you all liked it! Thanks, and this chapter is of course for all of you!!! Please, please enjoy!   
  
  
  
  
^o^   
  
  
  
  
**A Devil's Halo**: Part 8   
'_Oni's New Plan_'   
  
  
  
  
^o^   
  
  
  
  
"Sora! Sora!" called a familiar female voice from inside the crowded halls of school.   
  
  
  
Sora turned around to see her best friend, Mimi Tachikawa. She hadn't really been paying attention to her for a while, and she was just about to guess what Mimi was going to say '_I just wanted to say that we need a closure to our friendship. I don't like being ignored, and I can only guess that no real human being would either... So I'm just saying that this friendship... is over_.' Sora was waiting for the worse.   
  
  
  
"We haven't talked for a while Sor. What's up?" Mimi asked curiously. She had no hint of anger in her tone.   
  
  
  
Sora stared at her, confused for a minute. "I... Things have just been fixed. I'm sorry Meems. I know that I really shouldn't have done that to you. It was wrong. Just because I'm having a few problems to deal with doesn't mean that I should have shut you out for a while, and think that you were just so easily going to be my friend again. I know that I was wrong-" she said, true-heartedly.   
  
  
  
Mimi just smiled in return. "Oh come on Sor. You _know_ I'm not like that. Besides. I was pretty busy all week too. I've signed up for drama and I swear, our practices are _everyday_. But then again, I shouldn't complain. I _did_ sign up for it. By the way. What problems?"   
  
  
  
Sora smiled innocently at her. "Just the usual. You know? Fighting in the house."   
  
  
  
With this Mimi nodded her head. She thought that she understood. Sora didn't lie. She just didn't tell the whole problem. Usually her mother and her would fight, causing Sora to become distant from Mimi, until Mimi finally would corner her and make her spill the beans. "I see," she said. "Besides that. I've noticed that you've been around your new home buddy for a while. What's been going on with you two? You're practically inseparable, but since you're here, and he's... somewhere else, I think it's safe to say that you two aren't really _glued_ onto each other... just very well attached."   
  
  
  
"I guess you could say that. At first, we were having some problems, but that's all sorted out now. We've talked it out for a while at the park a couple weeks back. He even helped me clean out the rain gutter. You know how disgusting that thing is. Especially since neither my mom or I bothered to clean it for at least a year. I just started getting mad since I received moldy leaks from my ceiling during the rainy days." Sora said.   
  
  
  
Mimi made a disgusted face. She could just imagine all the green ooze dripping... no... splatting one moldy, slimy, appalling drop, by one moldy, slimy, appalling drop. She shook her head, getting the image off her mind. "By the way, here comes your lover boy now," Mimi said, taking her tray from the counter after the lunch lady gave their food. "Thank you," she said to the woman, as she paid for her lunch and waited for Sora to follow suit.   
  
  
  
"Hey Sora! Mimi, right?" Tai asked, turning his attention to Sora's best friend.   
  
  
  
Mimi smiled genuinely at him, and nodded. "I see that you two only have one more week of school cleaning duty. Keep up the good work! Our school's never been more clean!" she joked.   
  
  
  
Sora glared at her playfully.   
  
  
  
There were adolescent male voices coming a distance away from the three. They were shouting something incoherent, but Tai picked up on it. "I gotta go you guys. Nice talking to ya Mimi, although it was pretty short. See ya gals around!" he said, before catching up with '_the guys_'.   
**(A/N: You know? 'The guys'? I mean the types of guys that every other boy hangs out with? Okay. So I didn't know what else to call them... Can you really blame me ^_^.)**   
  
  
  
  
^o^   
  
  
  
  
"One potato..." Sora said as she cleaned off one table top. "Two potato..." she sung as she switched from the clean desk to another.   
  
  
  
Tai shot a glance at her. "What are you doing?" he asked.   
  
  
  
Sora was just mindlessly spraying the desktop and rubbing off the liquid. She wasn't really paying attention to it. Just then, she accidentally knocked over the spray of the desktop cleaner, and it broke. "Oh man... I am such a klutz!" she yelled, as she scrambled to mop up her mess. Tai walked over to her, and helped her clean up.   
  
  
  
"Sora, don't worry about it. There's a whole bunch more in the janitor's closet. I'll go get it," he said, grabbing a whole bunch of paper towels, and placing it over the mess, before walking out of the classroom, on his quest for the desktop cleaner, in the janitor's closet. Just then, he heard a little beeping noise. He figured something must have malfunctioned in some teacher's room, so he decided to ignore it. If something bad happened, he really couldn't get blamed. Besides, they only gave him and Sora specific keys to specific rooms in the school.   
  
  
  
The beeping didn't stop, nor did it get faint as he kept walking. On the contrary, the beeping became louder. Loud enough that Tai became irritated, and tried to listen intently at the source of the sound. He finally realized that Oni was calling him from his communicator. He pressed the 'Talk' button and just as he pressed it, he heard a booming angry voice on the other line.   
  
  
  
"**HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE A DAMN IMBECILE TO PRESS THE BUTTON**?!"   
  
  
  
Tai pressed the 'volume' button lower, because Oni's voice was just too loud. "I'm sorry sir. It's just that you've never called me before and-"   
  
  
  
"**SHUT UP** DAMMIT, JUST **SHUT UP**!!!"   
  
  
  
Tai suddenly stopped his chatting.   
  
  
  
"I just heard from a very good source of mine that you have been doing '_good things_' or '_nothing sinister_' for the past couple of weeks hmm?" Oni began.   
  
  
  
"I... Sir. It's just a plot-" Tai began.   
  
  
  
"Did I tell you to speak yet? I THINK **NOT**!!! Erm ehm. Anyways. As I was just saying before I was so RUDELY interrupted by my '_lesser ones_'. I have trusted you to do this job quickly and fast. I need you back down here in Hell for more jobs. I thought that you said you didn't want _life_. It gave you painful memories from the past. Am I right?" Oni stated.   
  
  
  
"Uh.. yes sir-" Tai began.   
  
  
  
"Good," Oni said, cutting him off quickly. "Then I want the job done right, and I want it to be finished quickly. Besides all that, why didn't you tell me that Heaven had sent one of their most powerful angels there?! You **ASS HOLE**!!! You tell me _EVERYTHING_ that seems important. Instead, you just go off, and decide to wait a couple of weeks. _NO_. Actually, in fact, if I don't have this correct," he said laughing a horrible, double-octave laugh. "If I didn't hear this from my very good source, you would have never remembered. You would have _forgotten_. Only when I bring you back down here, and torture you, and release you of your memories back there on Earth, will you remember."   
  
  
  
"Sir, I'm sorry, it's just that-" Tai tried again. No use.   
  
  
  
"Fuck you. Don't '_sir_' me anything. Just get you job done. In fact, as I have been counting along, you only made her do how many sins was that? It was-" Oni said trying to remember.   
  
  
  
"Sir," Tai said, hearing foot steps in the hall ways. "I have to go." With that, Tai disconnected the connection.   
  
  
  
"Love life, do you Taichi? Ever since you found out that there is so much to do in it? Everything horrible can always be countered with things of happiness... _People_ of happiness maybe? Kindness? Care? Hmm...? Anything of those things ring a bell with what's happening now?" asked a voice so irritating to Tai. He turned around and stared at the face that he for some odd reason, hated beyond all belief, for no reason.   
  
  
  
"Matt..." Tai spat out.   
  
  
  
Matt smiled politely at Tai, before walking around him; circling him.   
  
  
  
"What the hell are you doing?" he asked.   
  
  
  
"I was wondering if the wings we made for you will fit exactly," Matt said.   
  
  
  
Tai glared at him. "Thinking of sending me to Heaven? You of all souls should realize that Oni has trained me to refuse your offers. They mean nothing to us... Oni's-"   
  
  
  
Matt cut him off quickly. "Minion's? Oni's minions. And what a great title it is, but wouldn't an angel sound so much more better for people who you're trying to gain their trust?"   
  
  
  
Tai gave him a look of disbelief. 'What the hell was this guy thinking? He was a demon. A _DEMON_!!! He had been strictly trained, and warned by Oni many times to refuse all of Heaven's offers. If not, there would be dire consequences. Oni had even given them an example.   
  
  
  
"I understand that although you threatened Miss Takenouchi, you never intended to hurt her. You have your human characteristics back now Taichi. You have your memories, your _feelings_. Do you really intend to do harm on Sora?"   
  
  
  
Tai stood there with a dumb expression on his face. If Oni ever found out that he was even conversing with an angel like this, Oni would have his soul. Literally.   
  
  
  
"I understand that at this moment you may not even give me an answer, although deep inside you know what it is. If you just look inside but not search that far, you will only find an undecided answer. A confused answer. I'll be asking you once again soon..." Matt said, turning away from Tai; beginning to walk away.   
  
  
  
"Wait!" Tai called out.   
  
  
  
Matt turned around quickly. "Yes?"   
  
  
  
"If you're Sora's guardian angel, why are you still not talking to her?"   
  
  
  
"What do you mean?"   
  
  
  
"If you're really her guardian angel, after all these weeks, I haven't seen you once try and talk with Sora. You didn't even go near her. I notice that you keep a close eye on me though. What is it with you? Shouldn't you be trying to win Sora's trust, so you could tell her to stay away from me? Or is it because of the fact that you have your own little 'power' for making people trust you instantly? I mean, what other choice could there be? It's not like you're a _demon's_ guardian angel!" Tai laughed.   
  
  
  
Matt gave him that same polite, calm smile before dissipating into the thin air.   
  
  
  
  
^o^   
  
  
  
  
"It took you long enough Tai," Sora said, receiving the table cleaner spray from Tai.   
  
  
  
"Yeah.. Took a little detour down to the vending machines, but they didn't work at all. Wouldn't take my money, so I went back to my little '_quest_'," Tai said.   
  
  
  
Sora nodded. "Umm... Tai?"   
  
  
  
Tai looked over at her, from him floor waxing. "Yeah?"   
  
  
  
"Why aren't you bossing me around anymore? I mean... it's not like I want you to, it's just that it kinda seems a little suspicious. Especially because of the fact that you stopped about a couple weeks back."   
  
  
  
"I..." '_What do I say_?' Tai thought. "I..."   
  
  
  
Sora gave him a look of impatience.   
  
  
  
"I was given different orders," he finally finished.   
  
  
  
"Either that, or it's because of our '_talk_' at the park weeks back," Sora teased.   
  
  
  
"Pshh. Yeah. Right," Tai said, concentrating more on the waxed floor now.   
  
  
  
Sora gave him a little smirk before cleaning the desktops once more.   
  
  
  
  
^o^   
  
  
  
  
"There is no way that I'm letting that... Slave of mine... _My_ minion go ahead and cut me off like that! Once I get my hands on his soul, he'll be sorry that he ever did that. That damned slave. That damned servant. That l_ower class soul_! That- That. **ARGH**!!!! Once I find an opportune time, I'll snatch him away from his once hated, but now cherished earth, and kill him. Yes... But first of all, I must give him the worst of all punishments. The things that he never wanted ever again in his life. I'll make it happen on earth. I will make him relive his former life on earth with the people he most cares about," screamed Oni.   
  
  
  
Indeed. He was mad. Undeniably infuriated.   
  
  
  
Thanks to Taichi.   
  
  
  
  
^o^   
  
  
  
  
Tai placed the typical red and white checkered table cloth down on the weathered grass, and sat on it, placing his back pack down behind him. Sora followed along. She sat down against the flowerless cherry blossom tree and stretched.   
  
  
  
"There's nothing like doing homework in a beautiful, serene place right Tai?" she asked, as she removed her books and binders from her pack.   
  
  
  
"Yeah. Whatever. As long as I raise my grades for all my classes by doing my homework-" Tai began.   
  
  
  
"_Finally_ doing your homework," Sora finished for him.   
  
  
  
"Yeah yeah," he said, waving her off. '_Did I just say that I wanted to raise my grades up for my classes? Why? It's not like I'm going to stay here long enough to find out if I can still join a good college. Oni will take me back down once my project is completed. Plus I need to finish my project. It's been a while since Sora's done even just a stupid petty, little, insignificant sin...which we're cheating heaven by counting anyway_.'   
  
  
  
"Tai? Helooo? Anybody home?" Sora called to him.   
  
  
  
Tai snapped out of his thinking mode. "Oh. Uh... What?" he asked kind of rudely.   
  
  
  
Sora just ignore this. Tai had a tendency to act rude at times, but she knew that deep down, he really didn't mean it.   
  
  
  
"Didn't you just hear me?" she asked. She was a little annoyed, but a little relieved that he didn't hear her.   
  
  
  
"No."   
  
  
  
"Well then... Never mind."   
  
  
  
"Tell me. You've brought it up, don't change the subject now, or you'll just get me pissed," Tai said.   
  
  
  
"I... well... I mean I know that you don't have a job, and I know that it will be during the night... and I defiantly know that you're eyes are going to glow and everything... but I've got nothing to do on Saturday, and you've got nothing to do but lay down on your bed and think... Well... I've come to the conclusion that we both shouldn't be bored at the start of our week end right? Let's go to the dance. Both of us. This Saturday," Sora said. At first she sounded nervous, but then again, heck, she's said this a first time, and although he didn't hear her, her courage was already raised up.   
  
  
  
"Sure," Tai said without hesitating. Although he did say it in his normal tone... not a nervous quick tone. "By the way."   
  
  
  
"Hmm..?" Sora asked.   
  
  
  
"You're wrong," he said, placing his homework back in his back pack.   
  
  
  
"About what?" Sora asked, becoming interested with his broken sentences.   
  
  
  
"My eyes."   
  
  
  
"What do you mean?"   
  
  
  
"They've stopped glowing."   
  
  
  
  
^o^   
  
  
  
  
**Author's Notes:** Okay... so maybe it's not _that_ big of a cliff hanger, but then again, maybe people would want to know the reason _why_ his eyes don't glow anymore? Maybe... That will be explained in the next chapter. Hope that you enjoyed, and please, pretty please, review! 


	9. The Truth the Whole Truth

  
  
  
  
  
**Author's Notes:** Okay, since I've centered most, if not all of my chapters on Tai's demonic life, or just Tai himself, I will take a break from that. It wasn't really part of my plans, but then again I was thinking that if I keep centering on Tai, how will the whole Taiora thing happen? Yep. This is a Taiora story, so I'll prove it in this chapter.   
  
  
  
  
*~*   
  
  
  
  
**A Devil's Halo**: Part 9   
'_The Truth the Whole Truth_'   
  
  
  
  
*~*   
  
  
  
  
At seven o'clock that night, Tai walked over to his mirror, and just stared. He closed his eyes, and looked again. Nothing. What in the world was going on? He remembered what he read: º**Red Eyesº ~There is absolutely no way of removing them. Asking your master will not help, for it is also beyond their powers.~ ** He walked over to his bed, and reached underneath to find his huge book: _Hell's Messenger's Questions and Answers for Everything_. He flipped through the book, but found nothing at all about what was currently happening to him. "Why me?" he asked himself. What was this supposed to mean? He knew that he couldn't talk to Oni about this. He had this bad feeling. He couldn't always rely on his master anyways. No. He was going to figure this one out himself.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
"Matt!!!" Tai called from he hallways of school, Monday morning. Okay, so he tried to figure it out by himself for the whole day, that Sunday, but his curiosity was killing him.   
  
  
  
Matt heard him, and walked towards the disoriented teen. "Taichi?" he asked, looking the boy over. He smirked knowing what Tai wanted to ask. He didn't want to anger him though, so he would just wait until Tai asked the question himself.   
  
  
  
"How come my eyes don't glow anymore? You must know. Heaven knows everything that goes on in Hell. It's obvious, since you were sent here to protect Sora-"   
  
  
  
Matt was seen coughing a little. He looked to Tai's right, breaking eye contact. "Yes? Please continue," he said.   
  
  
  
"Tell me why," Tai asked.   
  
  
  
Matt shook his head. "How rude. You have absolutely no manners now do you?"   
  
  
  
"Gahh!!! _Please_ tell me why." Tai gritted his teeth together angrily.   
  
  
  
Matt gave his pacified smile, and nodded. He turned around and walked away from Tai. Tai, seeing Matt just turn his back on him, angrily followed.   
  
  
  
"Where the hell are you going? Dammit, I said please!" Tai half yelled, half complained.   
  
  
  
As Matt reached a secluded area of the school, he instantly stopped. Tai, being right behind him, crashed rather hard into him. "Please watch yourself there," Matt said, as he stepped a little away from Tai. "I just didn't want people eavesdropping on our conversation. You know that ever since Oni-" Tai once again flinched. "Heard that you've stopped making Sora do all those sins, he's sent another one of his minions to watch you. He wants to know the reason why you've stopped. We'll never really know who he or she is. Right now, I'll just answer your question."   
  
  
  
Tai nodded. Finally.   
  
  
  
"Your eyes don't glow anymore because you have fallen back into the human world completely. Oni can still bring you back to hell, but otherwise, if Oni didn't exsist, other spirits would have just thought of you as a human being. Although it says in that book of yours that there is no absolute way of getting rid of red eyes, it really doesn't have all the answer for you questions."   
  
  
  
Tai stared at him with disbelief. So... he was human? No... no... he was still one of Oni's loose souls, but on earth, every other supernatural being would think he were human. They would be fooled. It was like he was floating somewhere in the middle of things. He felt so confused. "How... How do I become my demonic self again? I-I mean... Are there ways?"   
  
  
  
Matt looked down at the ground, then lifted his face up to look at Tai directly in the eyes. "Yes there is a way... but do you really want to become that again?"   
  
  
  
"What kind of a question is this? I'm one of Oni's minions. I have to be that again. Oni will kill me if I don't," Tai said, his voice was rising to a panic.   
  
  
  
"I know that, but do you want to go back to Oni? Do you want to become one of his minions again? Do you want to be a demon again Taichi?"   
  
  
  
Now that he though of it... "No..." he said straight from his heart. He didn't want to go back. With Sora, he found out that there was much more to life than just ending it when something so horrible comes up. There would be people there to help along the way. Before he killed himself, he thought that he was strong to have enough courage to go on with his suicide, and to live as long as he did, with such a horrible life. Now, he realized that Sora was really the stronger one. She had gone through an equally if not worse life than himself.   
  
  
  
"Well then," Matt said proudly. "I'll just see how everything else goes. If this is kept up long enough-" Matt began, but then he suddenly stopped. "Someone's listening to us," he said quietly, before he turned into a cloud and disappeared.   
  
  
  
Tai, being used to that and all, just turned around and headed back to the school halls. Just before he entered his class room though, he figured out something. Matt of course had to be telling the truth. Besides that, his other proof was the fact that when Matt came towards him, he felt no anger, or hate. He was annoyed at Matt for turning his back on him, but other than that, that was all he felt. Strange.   
  
  
  
  
*~*   
  
  
  
  
"So what do you think you'll wear to the dance?" Sora asked Mimi, as her, Mimi and Tai walked around the mall looking for clothes.   
  
  
  
"I'm not too sure. Of course nothing too showy, but it has to be catchy so the guys would notice. Plus, it obviously shouldn't be formal. Just formal enough, but still casual-looking, you know?" Mimi said.   
  
  
  
Sora was already confused the moment Mimi began talking about her future dance dress. She wasn't very into malls or dresses, but then again she had to look decent, if not, nice enough that Tai would _really_ notice her.   
  
  
  
"I think I'll just go get some food over th-" Tai began, but Mimi grabbed his arm, and pulled him with Sora and her inside the store.   
  
  
  
"Although Sora asked for my help here, I think I'll give you free help on this one. I mean seriously. Are you really thinking of wearing clothes like _that_ to the dance?" she said, making a face at him.   
  
  
  
Tai looked down at his clothes. "What's wrong with them?" he asked. What _was_ wrong with them? They were like what ever other guy out there in the world wore. Loose clothing. A pair of blue jeans, and a shirt with his favorite rock band on it.   
  
  
  
"First of all... That disgusting shirt," Mimi said, pointing at the grueling image glued on the shirt. "Second, those pants. I mean seriously. The bottom of the pant legs are torn since you keep stepping on them. Third. You don't have a jacket. A guy must always wear a nice jacket over their clothing, so in case they meet a girl, but they have a stain, or an aping picture on their shirt, they can always cover it up."   
  
  
  
Tai cursed under his breath as Mimi led them towards the girls section first. "Sora," Mimi said, turning to her best friend.   
  
  
  
Sora stared at what Mimi gave her and replied "A dress? A dress?! Are you crazy Meems!!! You _know_ I don't wear dresses!"   
  
  
  
Mimi smiled at her. "Now. If you want people," wink, "to notice you," winks, and looks at Tai, "then you have to wear things that will catch their," wink, "eye."   
  
  
  
Sora gave her a confused look at first, but then she understood what Mimi meant. Was it that obvious that she liked Tai? She turned around and blushed. "Ahh... Okay. Just for the dance though."   
  
  
  
Mimi nodded, and stifled a giggle. "While Sora's trying that dress on, why don't we go look for your clothes hmm...?" she asked, pulling him towards the men's side. She sorted through some clothing, but nothing seemed to her taste. Finally, she found a pair of jeans, a loose black polo shirt, and a light grey under shirt.   
  
  
  
"What's the under shirt for Mimi? It's not like I need it. I just have to button the polo all the way up right?" he asked her.   
  
  
  
Mimi looked disgusted. "Of course not! Don't you see all those men models on T.V. they have these polo shirt, unbuttoned, with an under shirt at the bottom? Just try it on!"   
  
  
  
Tai took the clothing, and walked into the dressing room. Just as he did, Sora walked out wearing a knee length white skirt, a beautiful crimson tank top, with a thin, see-through material, white long sleeve over it. **(A/N: I don't know how to describe those long see-through shirts, but I have one. It seems like it's made of stockings materials, but it's more comfortable, and it's a little thinner. Gaah.. I don't know!!! Just to say, it's not tacky! Sorry, but I have no other way of describing it.)**   
  
  
  
Mimi stared at Sora and smiled. "Great! Wonderful! On our first shot too. Love it Sor. Tai's just trying on his clothes. Maybe you should change before he sees you. He should be surprised."   
  
  
  
Sora smiled, and thanked her friend for helping her. She then walked back to the women's dressing room.   
  
  
  
Tai walked out next, showing how he looked with the clothes that Mimi picked out for him. Once again, a match. It was perfect. "You know Tai," Mimi said, smiling widely at him. "If I didn't have a friend at school who was totally into you, I wouldn't let you out of my sight, until you were mine."   
  
  
  
"Really?" Tai smirked. "Who likes me?" he asked.   
  
  
  
"Ahhh... Just a friend. You may or may not know her. Sora's out now. Let's buy these clothes, and eat. After that, I'll buy some clothes of my own, and we're set to go!"   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
"Mmm... That was great!" Sora said, rubbing her stomach. The three of them ate out at Boston Market, and they all stuffed themselves silly with the delicious crispy chicken and gravy with rice, and the best macaroni and cheese anyone had ever tasted. **(A/N: Some people may not know what this restaurant is, but I just had to put it. I was about to put Mc Donalds because everyone knew it, but even if they're fake characters, might as well let them eat healthy food right? Well... as healthy as crispy chicken and gravy with rice, and macaroni and cheese will ever be. ^_^ Mmm mmm!)**   
  
  
  
"You've got that right," Tai said, smiling to his hearts content. He didn't think he had ever really been this happy just eating before. He had fun eating of course. I mean who wouldn't **(o^_^o)**, but just eating with friends who really cared about him made him feel so utterly... happy. There was no other word to describe it.   
  
  
  
"Ahhh... I don't think I'll eat for another two hundred years!" Mimi exclaimed, looking down at her now empty plate.   
  
  
  
  
*~*   
  
  
  
  
The three teens finished her shopping, all thanks to Mimi for helping them... Well... Actually getting them started, and doing everything else.   
  
  
  
"So... What kind of dress is it Sor?" Tai asked, as the two of them said goodbye to Mimi from the fork in the road... More like the sidewalk.   
  
  
  
Sora smiled at him. "Wouldn't _you_ like to know?" she asked, playfully hitting him. "You'll see on Saturday. Besides. If you ask, you should also _tell_."   
  
  
  
"What for? I mean, I think that whatever girl's have to wear are so much more important than what guys have to wear. Especially because of the fact that _you_ Sora Takenouchi, are going to wear a _dress_." Tai said, emphasizing the words 'you' and 'dress' because of the fact that Sora was more like a tomboy than anything else. She hated dresses. Period. Now what got Tai confused was why she was going to wear it in the first place.   
  
  
  
"Do you really mean that? I mean, you of all people actually saying that you pay attention to other people besides yourself?" she joked.   
  
  
  
"Hey! I resent that!" Tai said, turning around, and grabbing the hand that she used to hit him with.   
  
  
  
For a while, the two just stared at each other in silence. Sora looked down at their hands, and blushed. Should she pull away or stay? Did she even _want_ to pull away? Somehow, she knew the answer would be a no. She had to know though. There was a question tugging at her, just waiting to be asked.   
  
  
  
"... Are you really a demon Tai?" she asked, finally interrupting their silence.   
  
  
  
Tai snapped out of his trance, and look at her straight in the eyes, then she looked at the ground and answered truthfully. "Yes."   
  
  
  
"You really don't seem like it," she said taking her hand away from his grasp, finally.   
  
  
  
"What do you mean?"   
  
  
  
"Well... At first you did, with all that ordering around, and always getting me into trouble, but now... What changed?"   
  
  
  
What _did_ change? Was there a change of heart? Did all the ice melt after their conversation at the park? Did he finally find someone who had had an equally if not, more horrible life than himself? Was it that he had finally found someone who understood him? Was it that he finally found someone that he might just... care about?   
  
  
  
Sora stood there waiting for an answer.   
  
  
  
Tai shook his head. "I guess... everything," he said. Not one word of his mouth, yet, came out as a lie. Somehow now, every time he was with Sora, he couldn't lie to her. Just looking at her made him tell her the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.   
  
  
  
Sora eyed him curiously. "Everything? What do you mean?"   
  
  
  
"I mean, well... I always thought that life was hard, but that was just because of the fact that I always felt sorry for myself. I didn't realize that some people might just have had a far worse life than _I_ had. All I thought was that no one cared about me. I was all alone in this world now that two of my most cherished family members died. Especially the way I treated them before they died. I didn't have anyone to talk about it with, and I thought no one could help me. I thought no one cared about me."   
  
  
  
"What about now? I mean, do you like life now?"   
  
  
  
Tai nodded. "Yeah I guess, I finally found someone who cares about m-" Tai said, but suddenly stopped before all the words slipped out. Too bad it was too late.   
  
  
  
"It might have just been a wild guess Tai, but you're right. You've finally found someone who cares about you," Sora said, her lips turned into a smile.   
  
  
  
Tai was surprised at what she said. Not a lot of people, especially Sora, would say things like that. Primarily if it deals with the words closely related to 'I care about you.'. This made Tai even happier than he had been ever since he and Sora had their talk. As the two walked on to the house, Tai took Sora's hand into his, and they continued on.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
"Does it really show Meems?" Sora asked over the phone, as she laid belly down on her bed, with her feet high up into the air.   
  
  
  
"Of course it does. I mean, you're more calm than _I_ would ever be with a guy who I liked, but still, there's just something about it that has this big neon light pointing to you saying 'I think I'm liking my best guy friend!'." Mimi said, semi-sarcastically, but also truthfully.   
  
  
  
Sora sighed.   
  
  
  
"Hopefully he's ignorant. I mean he doesn't seem to notice, so I guess he is."   
  
  
  
"He's not ignorant... Well... not really. I'd prefer to call it oblivious to the practically stated and obvious."   
  
  
  
"Sure... Whatever," Mimi laughed. "So what happened after I left?"   
  
  
  
"Nothing much," Sora lied. Well.. not really. Half-lied if you will.   
  
  
  
"Uh huh. And how did have I known you Sora? I can totally tell you're lying!"   
  
  
  
"I... Not really!" Sora said. She didn't really like this. This was the common conversation that every cheerleader had over the phone with their friends, and she did not like it at all.   
  
  
  
"Oh come on Sora, I _know_ something happened."   
  
  
  
'_If I don't say it, this prep chat will never go away_,' she thought. '_Fine._'. "We just talked a little and then he held my hand. It was just a friendly type of thing though Meems. It didn't mean anything much. Look I have to go. I'll talk to you tomorrow!" she said, hanging up the phone before Mimi could say anything else, or squeal with excitement or something rather.   
  
  
  
  
*~*   
  
  
  
  
"The sky was painted today Painted with the pain that I saw deep in your eyes. I always thought it didn't matter what you say, But now I realize what you've been-" Sora sang as she cleaned up her room.   
  
  
  
Tai silently came in, and leaned against the door frame. "Sounds a little depressing don't you think?" he asked her.   
  
  
  
Sora blushed a deep brick red. Was he just listening to her sing? '_No one has ever heard me sing,_' she thought.   
  
  
  
"I would pick a sing with a happier note to match with that beauti... er... great voice of yours," Tai said, quickly catching himself there on the word 'beautiful'. Yes, this was another truth. He liked her voice. "Go on ahead, I don't mind."   
  
  
  
"Ahh..." Sora thought, smiling at him. "No thanks, but can do you me a favor?" she asked.   
  
  
  
"Depends. What?"   
  
  
  
"Well... I just need help to clean my room. Mind giving me a hand?"   
  
  
  
"Sure, why not?" he said, beginning to pick some things up and place them where they truly belonged.   
  
  
  
"My mom said that she was going out of town on Saturday for this meeting with her friends from high school. They haven't seen each other for awhile, so I could understand why she would close her flower shop that day," Sora said as the two continued to clean her room. "Besides that, since she knows that I won't disobey her... like the good dog that I am-" Tai laughed at this, "She said that if I clean my room then I can go. She said the same thing goes for you."   
  
  
  
"Great. She's _your_ mom and now she just became mine," Tai said. Sora just laughed at his words.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
Saturday was hectic at the school, since Sora and Tai had to stay late after schools anyway to clean up, they decided to just help the crew who were setting up the decorations for their dance. With that, they received free tickets since the two had forgotten to buy their dance tickets that morning.   
  
  
  
  
*~*   
  
  
  
  
The music was blaring as Sora walked into the school gym where the dance was being held. She had not gone with Tai, wanting to surprise him at the dance with what she was wearing. She really did want him to like it although she wasn't really into skirts or dresses for that matter. Instead of changing at her house, she went to Mimi's who helped her fix up everything else besides her clothing.   
  
  
  
Tai had dressed up and decided to walk to school. He found Matt on the way to the dance too, and since he stopped having those infuriating feelings for the guy, he decided to just walk and talk with him all the way to the dance. Amazingly, Matt seemed more human than he usually did all the other times he appeared behind Tai. Tai found Matt to actually be... cool. Since Tai asked, Matt talked about his life before being an angel. He was the lead singer of this big punk rock band, which practically went all the way to the top. Tai found out that the two were the same age, and that he had actually listened to some of Matt's songs before. Up until he killed himself of course.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
Matt immediately went to the snack areas, admitting defeat to his stomach, leaving Tai to find Sora by himself. He found her sitting down at the table just drinking orange juice. She was never really a fan of soda.   
  
  
  
"Hey, how long did you have to wait?" he asked her.   
  
  
  
"About thirty minutes," she said truthfully.   
  
  
  
"Sorry about that. Look, how about I make it up to you with a dance?" he said, holding out his hand to her. Sora just nodded, and as the two walked towards the dance floor, the beat suddenly changed into a slower one. "Umm..."   
  
  
  
Sora thought that staying in hell for so long probably made Tai forget how to slow dance, so she decided to lead him, taking his hands, and pulling him closer to her. "Forgot how to dance Taichi?" she teased.   
  
  
  
"I forgot everything since I came to the dance," Tai said.   
  
  
  
"What do you mean?"   
  
  
  
"I mean, I thought that you look really nice tonight Sor."   
  
  
  
Sora blushed, and no matter how dimly lit the lights were, Tai could still see the red burning in her cheeks. He smiled at that.   
  
  
  
"Sora...?" he asked, staring at her, looking slightly nervous, but trying to hide it from him. He knew all along that she had liked him, but since the day of the broken snow globe, that dy he saw her dancing around in circles, arms wide open, he instantly found her intresting from every other girl. Then he slowly began noticing her beauty inside and out, her love for life. He was just simply amazed. He moved a little closer and smelled her usual scent: baby powder. She seemed ready to ask what, so he moved his lips closer to her ear.   
  
  
  
"Hmm...?"   
  
  
  
"I think I'm falling in love with you," he said, surprising her, as the two danced to the lovely beat of the song.   
  
  
  
  
*~*   
  
  
  
  
**Author's Notes:** First of all, I'm sorry that it took so long for me to update. Hopefully I made it up to you with this especially long chapter which I have been writing continuously for this whole week. Hope that you all enjoyed it, and please review! By the way, being the lazy person that I am, I did not want to go and search for songs that matched this story in some way, so the partial lyrics that Sora sung were just words that I wrote after reading this completely emotional fic. Bye for now! 


	10. Capital 'T' Stirs

  
  
  
  
  
**Author's Notes:** Well... this is coming out just a few days before a full week, so I hope that it hasn't been too long of a wait.   
  
By the way, thank you all so much for the great reviews, and for your loyalty, especially the constant readers & reviewers. Love you all!   
  
Please enjoy, and don't forget to review in the end!   
  
  
  
  
*~*   
  
  
  
  
**A Devil's Halo:** Part 10   
_'Capital __"T"_ Stirs'   
  
  
  
  
^_^   
  
  
  
  
The night of the dance was the first time either of them had kissed not just each other, but kissed, in general. The dance was more than three hours long, but time really does go by faster when you're having fun.   
  
  
  
  
^o^   
  
  
  
  
"... Yeah, and didn't you see the lights at the back of the room? They were only flashing back and white because someone took off the colored screens that covered the top. It's weird that I just notice the littlest of things," Sora said, as she and Tai laid down on a picnic blanket, underneath their usual cherry blossom tree in the park.   
  
  
  
Tai moved his arms to the back of his neck, allowing his head to rest on them. He and Sora stared up at the cloudless sky that afternoon. "Maybe it's just oblivious to you, but you might just have a sixth sense," he said, with laughter in his voice. He had never loved life so much until now. Now all he wanted to do was live forever.   
  
  
  
"Hahaha... Yeah right. And you're not really a human..." Sora began, but did not continue. That was such a touchy subject for the two of them. They both knew their predicament, but since Tai had not said anything about him being supernatural since a few weeks ago at the dance, she had forgotten what he truly was.   
  
  
  
There was silence now. Uncomfortable silence. Tai didn't like it at all, so he decided to slice through the thick tense blanket and change the subject. "You know..." Tai said, turning over to Sora. He moved a little more, and now had either arms on her sides, his body over her frame. His face was so close to hers. "You haven't said anything about the dance Sor. You've never replied back," he said, with a hint of worry in his tone.   
  
  
  
"I thought that you didn't need anymore explanation after I kissed you," she replied.   
  
  
  
"If that's the case then..." he said, bringing his face closer to her.   
  
  
  
Sora closed her eyes and smiled. If only life remained this sweet. She raised her face up slowly to reach his lips, and the two began to kiss. Never in his life had Taichi ever felt so blissful before. Sometimes he would still think he were truly alive, enjoying everything in the world.   
  
  
  
As slow as the kiss came, bits of darkness had begun to appear. They did not notice of course because of the gradual appearance of it. It had not just appeared sharply, and quickly. Instead, their surroundings changed as if the night was slowly entering again. Wait a minute. Wasn't it just the start of the afternoon? Tai raised his head up quickly and looked at his surroundings. Suddenly the darkness was cut short due to the sudden appearances of the blinding fires of hell. He looked down into Sora's eyes and saw fear.   
  
  
  
He got off from her, and stood up to watch his surroundings. "I've found a way _Taichi_.... _Otrisaki_ I've found a way..." he suddenly heard.   
  
  
  
What in the hell was going on? Tai had no idea. "For so many weeks, almost a month and a half I have tried to figure out a way to get you back and destroy you. Now that I have finally found out a way to seek my lost minion I will capture him, and rupture his _life_ on earth. Sayanora to your loved one Otrisaki. Wish you the best of luck reliving your worst memory."   
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  
Tai woke up in a cold sweat. Just a dream. It was all just a dream. A nightmare more like it, but it was only in his sleep. It wasn't real. It couldn't be. Before he could think anymore, he heard something crash to the right of him. He got up from bed quickly and turned on the lights. It was Matt.   
  
  
  
"I'm here to warn you about misfortunes on the future Tai. Please be careful," he warned.   
  
  
  
"What are you talking about?" Tai asked him, panicking.   
  
  
  
"That dream you just had was a message sent by Oni. Please be careful. Although I am your guardian angel, I can't fight your own battles. I hope that Sora has taught you more about life than just the bad things that happen to occur."   
  
  
  
"What the?! You're _my_ guardian angel? What do you mean by everything that you've just said? What's going on?"   
  
  
  
"Just be careful. Oni found you, and now will make things happen, things that have happened in your past life. If you love life now, then don't let it just end." he said. With that, he once again dissipated into thin air.   
  
  
  
"Wait a min-" Tai began, but it was too late. He quickly got up from his bed and went across the hallway to Sora's room. He knocked, but figured there was no use. She was probably still asleep. He walked in quietly, and knelt down in front of her. "Sora... Hey..." he said softly, gently shaking her awake.   
  
  
  
Sora slowly opened her eyes. "Tai...". She smiled up at him, and reached her hand out to caress his cheek. "Hey... What are you doing awake? It's two in the morning."   
  
  
  
"We have to talk now," he said with urgency in his voice. Sora saw the seriousness of it all, and sat up.   
  
  
  
With that, it was Tai's cue to tell her about Matt and everything else he had been hearing, and knowing for the past couple of weeks.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
For the rest of the early morning, neither Tai or Sora slept. They had kept each other awake with questions, answers, and just desperate conversation. Tai had kept up the desperate conversation part. He knew that Oni was powerful. He knew that the guy got what he wanted, and if he wanted Tai to relive his past, he would make that happen. After that, if he wanted to destroy Tai, he would eventually. He had told Sora everything else that he knew but that.   
  
  
  
He stared at her worried, but tired eyes. He couldn't help but think that he might never see those eyes again. Her. He might never see her ever again. Oni would eventually get what he wanted... Right? He placed both hands on either side of her face. He smiled and just stared at her for a while.   
  
  
  
"What?" she asked, slightly laughing.   
  
  
  
"Nothing..." he said, continuing to stare at her eyes... then down to her nose... then her lips... He moved closer wanting more than anything right now, to kiss those lips.   
  
  
  
"Oh really?" she asked. She pulled Tai closer to her, and the two eventually fell back onto Sora's bed. Tai had kissed her from the force of the fall, but after five seconds to think about it, he pulled off her immediately. This was wrong. Their whole position was wrong. No. By the way the two of them were positioned, it seemed as if they would soon be having... No. Not Sora. Not him... right?   
  
  
  
  
*~*   
  
  
  
  
Mrs. Takenouchi walked to the frame of Tai's room, and stood there quietly, right in the middle of the white, wooden frame. "Taichi..." she began, ending the uncomfortable silence that Tai was not aware of.   
  
  
  
He turned around and stared at the woman who took him in. Who sheltered him. Who... dare he say it? Did he even know if it was the truth? Sora said so: the woman loved him as a son that she never had. "Yes ma'am?" he asked, quickly beginning to pick up his mess inside of the room. After taking him in, the best he could do was mess up the room? Now that was just rude.   
  
  
  
"Your foster agency just found this out..." she said, handing him a folder with his name on it. There were some papers sticking out from it, covering up his full name. "I just thought that you should know... That is if you didn't already. Believe me, I never asked them to look it up. They just found it one day, and decided to inform me. Is there's something that you want to tell me? Or please tell me there is a difference between you two."   
  
  
  
Tai did not understand what she was talking about. He gave her his best look of confusion. What in the world was she talking about?   
  
  
  
She noticed this, and pointed to the folder. "Look inside, but read the name outside of the folder first," she said.   
  
  
  
Tai nodded, and did what he was told. The first thing he saw was Yagami, Taichi. The next thing he saw was inside of the folder. It was his baby footprints and hand prints, and his birth certificate. There was also a photograph of him when he was sixteen. Underneath that was a posted which said 'Missing'. That same photo was posted on the flyer. It was dated the day he killed himself many years back. He swallowed hard. Oni.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
The next thing he knew, he was being kicked out of the house. Mrs. Takenouchi had been so frightened, that she ignored Sora's attempts to stop her mother, but it came out useless. She had ignored her daughter, packed up all of Tai's things, and kicked him out. As simple as that. He didn't even have a good explanation for it. It just happened so fast. She was screaming something about the spawn of Oni. How angels wouldn't do things like that and get themselves caught. Only the idiots in hell would be dumb enough to do that.   
  
  
  
  
*~*   
  
  
  
  
Tai was angry. Very angry. He had never been so infuriated this much before, ever since he appeared back on earth. No. He grabbed his suitcase and just threw it hard inside a gigantic garbage can. What was the use anyways? It wasn't like he was going to need it anymore. It wasn't like he needed the money if he would sell that. Oni knew where he was now. All he needed to do was destroy him. Who would take in a spirit who, in his fist life, committed suicide?   
  
  
  
"Tai! Tai!" Sora ran. It was raining. Hard. If it hadn't been for the slight warm weather, it would have hailed.   
  
  
  
Tai didn't turned around as quickly. He moved slowly... sluggish. "Sora...?" he asked, squinting through the rain. It hurt his eyes.   
  
  
  
Sora continued running until she came to him and hugged him. "I couldn't just leave you. My mom told me to leave you alone. She tried keeping me in. My mom and I had a fight after that, and I ran here. I found you."   
  
  
  
Tai was surprised now. What Sora did was truly a sin. This was worth more than just one puny sin point. This was worth at least two if not three. Besides the fact that she yelled back at her mother, and disobeyed her. Right now, Tai didn't care. She was here, and she was with him. "Why-" he began.   
  
  
  
"Don't even dare ask ridiculous questions like that. Of course you know why! You're like my best friend Tai. Besides that, you're more than just a friend to me. Do you really think I would let you go just like that?"   
  
  
  
Tai smiled at her. Now he knew even deeper, the reason why he loved life.   
  
  
  
Matt appeared suddenly. Tai watched the angel as the rain barely touched his clothes. There was a barrier that covered his entire body. The rain didn't even have a chance to penetrate through it. "I need to bring you two into a safer place first. Then we can finally make things come into sense," he said before anyone else could speak. "If that's alright with everyone, let's go." With that, he rubbed his hands together, spread them apart, then snapped.   
  
  
  
The next thing they knew, they were inside of Tai's old home.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
**Author's Notes:** Okay, I know that it's short, but I had to end it there. Besides that, I doubt if I'll ever post it on time if I don't make it short. I'll try to remember this promise, and make the next chapter a longer one. One as long as the chapter before this. I'll try. I hope that you enjoyed. Please show your appreciation, and enjoyment in reviews that will brighten my day. Lately nothing seems to be able to.   
  
Another note. For the people who didn't understand my chapter title, the capital 'T' is for trouble. 


	11. Questions, Answers & Foreshadowing

  
  
  
  
  
**Author's Notes:** Oh wow... Thank you! You _did_ certainly brighten my day, my week, my life, so much! Thank you for all your compliments, and I love you all for it! I can't express my feelings enough in words, actions, etc., but I hope you know how grateful I feel. Thank you again, and please do enjoy!!! _^_________^: big grin for y'all_.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
**A Devil's Halo:** Part 11   
_Questions, Answers & Foreshadowing_   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
"As I've said before Taichi, Oni has given you that dream as an obvious foreshadowing in your future. You must understand that he is an extremely powerful being, and if you're not careful, he can just flick you away like the lint on your clothes," Matt began with his pacified voice, once again.   
  
  
  
Tai was anything but calm. He took this opportunity to yell at Matt. "Don't you think that I _know_ that already? _I_ was the one who had to be stuck with the ass hole for more than fifty years, not you, so there's absolutely NO NEED for you to tell me all this shit. Just tell me the information that I **DON'T** ALREADY KNOW!"   
  
  
  
Matt looked away from Tai. Tai did not know. Of course the guy wouldn't know. No one else knew but Oni and Heaven. "You're wrong Taichi," he said quietly.   
  
  
  
Tai shot him a look of confusion. "What? About what?"   
  
  
  
"You can't go on implying that I have no idea about hell. Believe me I have. I mean, yeah I was a 'big star' when I was still alive, but I was a jerk too. One of the people whom I corrupted eventually got their revenge and killed me. Hell was the first place I went to when I died. I was sent on a mission similar to yours, but instead, I was just there to rouse up more evil in the world. When I was looking for trouble, what I found was my human guardian angel. She had calmed me down. She turned me good. She had said that with the powers I had- since Oni never stripped me of my powers- I could use them for good, and so I did. Oni tried to go after me, but I defeated him with my powers with the help of some angels in Heaven."   
  
  
  
Tai just gave him a look of utter disbelief. Matt? This guy... this overly calm, _angel_ used to be a demonic spirit? He gave a little smile knowing that this guy used to be in love.   
  
  
  
"Wait- So the reason why Tai doesn't have any powers is because of you? Also, you mean, after every good that you did, and your proof of being good, Heaven took you in?" Sora asked. She had been quiet since the time Matt took them from the rain, due to her surprise of teleporting, but now she spoke, curious.   
  
  
  
"Yes and not entirely. They were still a little 'iffy' about my actions. For example, they wondered if I might turn back to my violent nature, so they made me human again. They gave me a name, a record, a new life... literally. With that new life I knew that I didn't want to return to hell once again, so I stayed with my human angel, and she taught me that there was more to life than violence. When I died... again, I ascended into heaven and was taken in."   
  
  
  
"Is there some kind of note here that you're trying to tell us about?" Sora questioned.   
  
  
  
Matt gave her a wry smile, and said, "I'm sorry but Oni made us a deal, so that we cannot interfere with Taichi's choices. If he truly wants to do good, and go to heaven, then it's his choice. I've tried to hint it to you, and I hope that you will get the message in all of this Tai. This was the dire information that I needed to give to you. The rest is up to you..." he said, as he slowly disappeared into the air.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
"The bastard! That damn information was _useless_!!!" Tai yelled. "We were supposed to receive information that would help in this situation, but no, the ass just had to go tell us his life story. I really don't give a shit about that!". He slammed his fist into the wall.   
  
  
  
There was silence.   
  
  
  
"Sora?" he asked.   
  
  
  
Nothing.   
  
  
  
He decided to look around. Maybe she went off to just look at the house? Where was he anyway...?   
  
  
  
'_This painting... It looks so familiar_,' Tai thought, as he ran his hand along the bumps of the overlapped oil paint. '_This door..._'. He looked at the side of a mahogany frame, and saw marks that read 4'1" or 4'3¾". The ¾ of an inch was just to humor him when he was younger. His dad always gave bimonthly height checks on Tai, two years after his sister died. "Wait a minute..." he whispered softly to himself, as he fingered the marks on the door frame. "This was my home..." he continued. "Sora! Sora!" he called, but he had yet to be answered.   
  
  
  
Maybe she was playing around?   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
Thirty minutes. Thirty minutes and Sora was still not found. By now, he could safely say that she certainly was not playing hide-and-go-seek with him. He was about to walk out through the back door, but he heard keys jingling at the front door. Of course! Didn't Matt just send him here? It wasn't like this house was abandoned or anything due to the lack of dust in the house. This must have had owners since his mother moved.   
  
  
  
He walked up towards the door, but pressed himself against the hallway walls. He didn't want to scare the people out of their wits and make them call the cops due to an intruder. He was just curious as to what type of a person the house owner would be, to want to keep all the Yagami belongings and not change one thing. For example his room. As he passed by it, nothing was changed, but this was the room he had when he was sixteen and his father hadn't died yet. He wasn't completely depressed then, and his room still held a homey, welcoming feel to it. How did that person change it to look exactly like this? A look that Tai had changed previously.   
  
  
  
Tai passed by the hallway table, and found family pictures atop it. They were _his_ family's pictures. '_What a weird person..._' Tai thought. Who in their right mind would keep up family photos that were not theirs, in their home and not put up pictures of _their_ own family? Maybe this guy was just lonely... or sad?   
  
  
  
Before he peeked at the owner of his old house, he walked back into his room, curious if the person had kept it up. He found his journals that he had been writing ever since he was seven and sisterless. Okay, not he thought that it was safe to say that this person was insane.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
Finally, Tai walked back out of his old room, and decided to check up on the owner. If just a little peek at the person.   
  
  
  
He tried to creep out silently from his old room, not wanting the floor boards to creak underneath him, but unfortunately, what you don't want usually happens anyways, so the floor gave out a loud groan.   
  
  
  
Now he heard footsteps walking quickly towards the room, and before he could run and hide, the person caught him, as they stared, standing just outside of the room.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
"**Dad**?!" he exclaimed loudly. His father...? Alive...? And... Young?   
  
  
  
"Yes Tai... Now that you're finished getting excited about... something... please clean up your room. It's a mess. Dust the counters, your mom will be home in an hour," his father said, before turning away and walking towards the master's bedroom. Before he could walk any further though, he felt arms thrown at him, and his son hugging him for all he was worth. Ever since Kari died, he didn't think that his son would show this much love to anyone. Besides he had proof, ever since Tai had stopped hugging his parents when he was seven. "Uhh..." he had no idea how to react to this, but he truly was happy.   
  
  
  
"Dad!" Tai said in a happier tone now. "But... how?"   
  
  
  
Mr. Yagami gave him a look of confusion. "What do you mean? I've already told you that my plane arrives two hours after your school," he replied.   
  
  
  
"What?"   
  
  
  
"Taichi, how about getting a cold drink of water. Your brain's getting scrambled again isn't it?" the man said, laughter in his voice.   
  
  
  
Tai smiled genuinely up at him. But wait... How did this happen? And where was Sora? Before his dad could say anything else, he ran to his room and checked his calendar. Wait a minute. This was the year his father died. This was the year he committed suicide.   
  
  
  
'_Afraid yet Taichi_...?' Asked a horrible, double-octave voice.   
  
  
  
Tai froze. Oni.   
  
  
  
'_How do you like the all-too-real flash backs_?' he interrogated. _'I'm just refreshing your memory, before I really destroy you **new** life... Ha ha ha... hope you have fun...'_ It was such a chilling tone of voice.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
"You said that you were going to come over and watch my soccer game dad!" said Tai over the cellular phone.   
  
  
  
"I know, I'm sorry Taichi. I know that I promised, but there was a huge traffic jam-" Mr. Kamiya began, but he was cut off.   
  
  
  
"A promise is a promise!" said the insecure boy.   
  
  
  
"I know but-" the man began again.   
  
  
  
"You weren't even there for Kari's funeral! You weren't even there fore anything! What the hell are you doing there that's more important than every other damn thing that's happening here?" yelled the boy.   
  
  
  
"So this isn't just about me being late for Christmas is it?" the man tried to reason with his son, but his son didn't want any reasoning as he continued to yell at his father.   
  
  
  
"Fuck you..." said the boy with a chilling tone in his voice. "Since whatever the hell you're doing seems more important than the past events of this year, why don't you just go back? You ass hole! I can't believe I called you my dad! I wish you never come home for Christmas!!!" he said finally. He had tried to stop himself from saying these things, but on impulse, they came out.   
  
  
  
Oni. That bastard. Damn it, damn it, damn it. Oh no...   
  
  
  
"Tai... you have to understand-- Wait son, I have to--" said the man, panic rising in his voice. There was a pause, and then he finally said, "I love you both very much--"   
  
  
  
With that, there was screaming from the young boy's father, screeching, a loud colliding of metal, and then silence.   
  
  
  
"**NOOOOO**!!!" Tai yelled over to the receiver. "**ONI**! You **BASTARD**!!!! I _will_ find a way to **KILL** YOU!!!!" Tai yelled over and over again, before he just broke down crying a river...   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
The next thing he knew, he was back on his bed, his pillow wet from the salty tears that came down as his past, his worst nightmare, came back to him.   
  
  
  
"Tai... Hey... Come on you big baby," Sora whispered joking, affectionate words to the teen, as she roused him gently from his sleep.   
  
  
  
"Sora!" Tai said, as he grabbed the girl and hugged her tightly. That's when he saw what was behind Sora. This wasn't his room over at the Takenouchi house. No. This was some little three star motel. "Where are we?" he asked just ask suddenly as he grabbed her.   
  
  
  
"We're in Tokyo Inn. I had enough money from my work to pay for this," she said. "I mean, we couldn't just go back to my house. My mom wouldn't allow it at all. She would probably call the scientists and ask them to give you an autopsy on how you lived twice. She was frightened, Tai. I don't blame her as much any more, but she shouldn't have yelled at you, and kicked you out like that."   
  
  
  
Tai nodded. "How long have we been here?" he asked.   
  
  
  
"About three days now," Sora said, counting her fingers.   
  
  
  
Tai nodded. He looked up at her, and noticed that she had been straddling him. He blushed, and tried to hide it, but was unsuccessful. Sora had noticed it, and became aware of their position too.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
"It was Oni Sor," Tai was explaining to Sora as the two sat atop Tai's inn futon. "He practically made me relive when my dad died. It seemed so real..." he said.   
  
  
  
Sora nodded understanding how he was feeling right now. The best thing to do was to get his mind off of that, or else he would just become depressed. Something she didn't want him to feel. Depression was what led him to commit suicided anyway. "Let's forget about this for now Tai..." she said.   
  
  
  
Tai looked up at her unique, beautiful ruby colored eyes. That urge to just kiss her came back to him, and this time, he was the one who began the kiss. He took her into his arms, and tasted her vanilla lip gloss. He smiled as he licked her bottom lip to get a better taste. He felt Sora's lips curve upwards, into a smile, as she kissed him back. He slowly brought her down on the bed, refusing to break contact, even for air.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
Sora stared at the ceiling. They had come too close this time, and it was only the second time that it happened. What if the saying was true '_The third time's a charm?_'. Well, although she knew she loved Tai, she didn't want that '_third time_' to be a '_charm_'. She wanted to at least be married to the guy before she put herself at risk of getting pregnant. Besides that, they didn't even have protection. Not that she doubted his stay if she became pregnant. It was just that she didn't want to get pregnant yet. Period.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
Oni's cursing boomed out loud enough for the echos to bounce off the walls of the enormous territory of hell. His plan had failed.   
  
Not matter how strong his powers were... Was Taichi's and Sora's love stronger than that?   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
**Author's Notes:** So... How'd ya like it? Okay? Bad? The worst crap that you ever had to deal with? Hopefully not. What I want is for all you wonderful people to enjoy my fics. Hopefully you did. Please, if you did, tell me by reviewing. I mean it's not like I really care about how much I get. What I really care about is if people like my fics, and the only way I can know is by people reviewing ne?   
Thank you so much for reading! Love you all people!!!   
  
  
By the way, if anyone's interested in me e-mailing them when the next chapter comes out, please tell me, and I'd be glad to do so.   
  
If you have an account here in fanfiction, when you review, and you want to know as soon as possible when a new chapter's up for a favorite fic of yours, I suggest you put that person on your Author's Alert. It's at the bottom of the review box, and it gives you an e-mail of when at person's new chapter is posted up, and a direct link to that particular chapter. If you put me on your Author's Alert, you will not be fooled, because this is the only story that I'm doing, so you will receive only one e-mail concerning my new chapters, for this one fic. 


	12. Welcome Back Taichi

  
  
  
  
  
**A Devil's Halo**   
**Part 12:** _Welcome Back Taichi_   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
As the fiery red demon raged days on end in the pits of doom, Tai and Sora were given a break from his demonic deeds. With that, the two continued to stay at the little inn for three wonderful, Oni-fee days.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
"I was thinking of ice cream today," Sora said, as she stared up into the beautiful clear sky. It was a hot day and there was not a cloud in sight.   
  
  
  
Tai walked on, deep in thought. What did Oni mean by making him relive his past? How was it to happen if there was only one person whom he truly cared about in this world now? Besides, it wasn't like he could even kill himself right...? Or was he completely human now? If he kills himself... wouldn't his undying soul just return to Oni? It would have returned to the demon either way though... although Matt's story seemed interesting. But after all his training with Oni for all those years... Was he ready for Heaven?   
  
  
  
"Tai...?"   
  
  
  
Tai looked to his right and saw Sora giving him a worried look. "I'm sorry about that Sora... it's just that... My mind's full right now. What were you saying?" he asked.   
  
  
  
"N... nothing. Never mind. What's wrong?"   
  
  
  
"Nothing's wrong. I was just thinking about something about these past few days. Really, it's nothing. Let's change the subject. What were you saying earlier? Ice cream?"   
  
  
  
Sora's face lit up as she took his hand and led him to an ice cream vendor.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
The little inn was the only refuge Tai and Sora had from the damned monster. Since Oni couldn't sense Tai, if he were indoors, it would be harder for Oni's minions to come and find him.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
"I don't understand..." Tai said at he stared at a mat with different, brightly colored spots.   
  
  
  
"Okay... Let me explain it again... this time slower. There are two spinners. One tells you which body part- like the left or right hand or the left or right leg- which spot to put them on. The other tells you about what color you have to place them on. Whoever drops first loses. _Now_ do you get it?" Sora said.   
  
  
  
Tai nodded.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
Thirty minutes later, the two were laughing until their eyes watered. With their twisted positions, it was hard to explain why gravity let them defy it.   
  
  
  
"Okay... right leg on... the red spot..." Sora said, as she tried to move her leg over Tai's face. "No.. NO!!! Aaaahh!!!!" she half yelled, half laughed. Gravity had finally taken them down.   
  
  
  
"You lost! Oh yeah!!! I won!!!" Tai boasted.   
  
  
  
Sora puffed out her cheeks. "But it was 'cause you were cheating!"   
  
  
  
"Was not!"   
  
  
  
"Was too!"   
  
  
  
"Was not!"   
  
  
  
"Was too! Look.. this isn't getting us anywhere," she finally said. She waved off whatever Tai was about to say, and grabbed the spinner. "Wanna play again?" she asked.   
  
  
  
Tai shook his head. No. Too much fun. They had to talk about the seriousness of it all. It had been invading his thoughts for the whole day already. "Sora," he said, with the most sincere voice he could conjure.   
  
  
  
Sora gave him a look of worry as she walked over to him. The two sat down on the foot of the bed, as Tai pondered on how to begin the conversation.   
  
  
  
"I wish I could just say that everything's just all fun and games, but what if I can't defeat Oni? You know how Matt said that he had powers back then. _I_ don't have my demonic powers with me. I can't get them back unless I go back to hell. I don't want to go back Sor. You know that. I can't defeat him though, as just a human being. There's no _way_. Oni is the most _powerful_ creature in the world of the underground, fiery supernatural. I... I'm just a puny human..."   
  
  
  
"Tai. It doesn't matter. There are ways. Why are you bing so serious all the time. Were you _raised_ to be a party pooper?" she asked, lightly punching him on the arm.   
  
  
  
Tai gave her a weak smile, then crawled over onto his hotel bed. He went under the sheets, as Sora was left still sitting down on the foot of the bed. She stood up and walked over to where Tai was, curled up, with his back facing her. "Tai..."   
  
  
  
Tai was deep in thought. He had also hardened his heart even just for a second to stop himself from crying. Too much crying. He was always crying now. He knew that it took a man to cry... but it was the drama queen who cried almost everyday. "He knows about you Sor," he said, trying to swallow down that lump in his throat.   
  
  
  
Sora crawled over to his side and brought her face around to look at his.   
  
  
  
"He knows how much you mean to me. He said that he was going to make me relive my past... You're the only one now who I care the most about... I don't want him to hurt you... I don't want... I don't want to regret this..." he said.   
  
  
  
Sora crawled under the sheets next to Tai as he turned around and smiled at her. "We're ready for this. Unfortunately for him, he gave us a warning so we're more likely to be cautious now. Remember. Matt's still on our side. Guardian angels never just let whom they're guiding, get hurt."   
  
  
  
He nodded at this. She was always there to cheer him up and keep him out of depression. Sometimes he just wished that he could relive his life before he killed himself, and have Sora there along with him. "Thanks..." he said.   
  
  
  
Sora gently placed her fingers over his eyelids, and closed them. "Shh... go to sleep..." she whispered.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
The brightness and the scorching heat of the sun practically baked Tai until he woke up the next day... or was it the sun? Was that the sun's heat? Oh no...   
  
  
  
He looked down on what was supposed to be the inn's bed. It was the red hot floor of hell. Was this real? Only if you really _could_ feel pain in your dreams... That girl wasn't Sora. That was one of Oni's minions.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
Sora walked back from the drug store after feeling the intense heat of Tai's forehead. He hadn't woken since a day ago. She was worried and all she could think of was that maybe he was sick once again. She went to the drug store in order to get him something that would help him get better.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
**Author's Notes:** I know it's been awhile and I'm really sorry, but well... school work's been hectic and I haven't had much time to continue. Also, to tell you the truth, I was having a little bit of a writer's block. Hence the fact that this chapter's pretty short. I'll try to make the future one longer.   
  
  
  
Hope you enjoyed. Please review.   
  
  
  
_The Way of Heaven does not compete,   
And yet it skillfully achieves victory.   
It does not speak,   
And yet it skillfully responds to things.   
It comes to you without your invitation. _   
**--Lao-Tzu **


	13. The Prologue of the War

  
  
  
  
**Author's Notes:** Thanks for the reviews everyone!!!   
  
  
**To: Yoko Shinamori:** Thank you for your review and idea, but I've still got my ideas in my head. It was really imaginative though. Have you thought of writing your own fic? ^_^... just no plagiarism from my story(ies) please.   
  
  
Please enjoy this next chapter all!   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
**A Devil's Halo**   
**Part 13:** _The Prologue of the War_   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
"You truly didn't think that you could get away with it did you?"   
  
  
  
Tai glanced around the little fiery room. A tips of a flame licked his skin, and he quickly jumped away from it.   
  
  
  
"You thought that I would just let a soul escape from hell after all my hard work at trying to get to you to bring a soul down here in the first place. You are still such a sinner _Otrisaki_. Admit defeat. You brought yourself to come here from the beginning and you can't just take yourself out of it because some bitch taught you how to love life again. You've already had a chance to live, you killed yourself so boohoo. Do you know where your little girlfriend by the way?"   
  
  
  
The eyes were burning at his forehead. He could just feel the intensity of it all. A human really didn't have a place here in hell yet. Only a soul could stay down here, for if he stayed there any longer than an hour he was sure to be toast. Literally. Besides that... Sora. He had no idea where she was. That little minion ass of Oni.   
  
  
  
"You really have no idea do you? Well... since you've been sleeping for the past day, she went out of her way to buy you some medication for that cold you've got. How would you like it if she just _accidentally_ got smashed against a car window because she wasn't looking both ways? How would you like it if I sent you back there on earth to see your dead bitch? How would you like it?"   
  
  
  
Tai closed his eyes. He had no power. How in the world was he supposed to go against Oni? How in the world was he supposed to leave hell and save Sora.   
  
  
  
"Besides. All the sins that Sora has been doing were things that she had gone against from the ten commandments. She disobeyed her mother and hadn't gone to confession for it since. How would her soul ever be pure enough to go to heaven if she hasn't gone through confession? Well at least you two will be stuck down here in hell together!" After that, there was the most cruel laughter that no man in this world had ever heard of before. The only creature evil enough to create such a laughter was Oni.   
  
  
  
'_Sora..._' Tai thought. His anger was flaring up inside him. Suddenly, he felt his eyes turn a few degrees warmer.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
Sora walked silently down the side walk, holding the medication for Tai in her hands. '_I hope he gets better after I give him this... He won't have the strength to fight Oni if he's sick..._' she thought.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
"Do you want to watch Otrisaki?" asked Oni.   
  
  
  
Tai glared at the demon ahead of him. "Don't call me that. That was the name you gave me as your minion but I _refuse_ to go through that same mistake! And leave her alone! It was me you wanted! Well you've got me, just leave her **alone**!!!" he yelled.   
  
  
  
"I've said to you before that hell wasn't receiving enough souls. Why else do you think I want to kill that little slut of yours?"   
  
  
  
"Don't **ever** call her that!!!"   
  
  
  
"Oh... there she goes... crossing the street... hmm... Which car to choose? The old volkswagon or the bus? A traumatized old man, or a traumatized group of people...? This is easy..." he said ignoring Tai.   
  
  
  
The teen stood up from his spot on the ground and walked straight towards Oni. "You've picked the worst time to fool around with Sora's and my life..." he said.   
  
  
  
This was the first time that Oni turned to look at Tai ever since he dropped back to hell by one of his minions. His eyes widened.   
  
  
  
Tai's eyes had a powerful red glow to them... even all around his body. Oni was horror struck. He had never felt the aura of so much power from a minion before. Especially a minion who was supposable in his human form.   
  
  
  
"I've been waiting for so long to tell someone this... After telling you that you should leave her alone..." Tai said flickering his eyes towards the ground, then towards Oni once again. "I told you so."   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
**Author's Notes:** I know that it's short, but I had to update soon. Plus I needed the action to happen in a chapter with different contents it in. **Author's Mind argues:** _No... she just actually wanted to put a cliff hanger ^_^._   
  
  
I hoped that you enjoyed!!! Now it's time to write down your thoughts and feelings... go on. We didn't go to english class for no reason! Exercise your writing skills. Please review! 


	14. Peace for Now

  
  
  
  
  
**A Devil's Halo:** Part Fourteen   
_Peace for Now_   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
Oni had no idea what he was doing. He was backing away! He was _backing away_ from a _stupid_ little _minion_ of his! Was he scared? Was this going to end the way it did with his last, lost minion? Yamato... or was it Matt... or both... Dammit! Who cares!   
  
  
  
No. He couldn't possibly let it end that way. _Stop backing away then..._   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
Sora happily swung the plastic bag that held Taichi's medicine in it, around. After the fifth swing though, it slipped through her fingers, and fell onto the cold street. There were no cars, so she decided to just walk and grab it.   
  
  
  
BEEP BEEP!!!!   
  
  
  
No cars? She was wrong.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
"I swear on my own grave that if you harm Sora, you will regret it even more than when you regret not sleeping early for your damn 'beauty sleep' you sick bastard!" Tai yelled, as he ran full speed to his '_master_'. He didn't think twice before hitting the demon, instead, he just raised a fist and slammed it into Oni's face as hard as he possibly could. Oni didn't even have time to dodge the attack. Instead of ending his punching spree right then to hurt Oni in other ways that were very possible right now in Tai's mind, he continued throwing his fists at the devil. "You son of a bitch!!! You arrogant, self-centered, haughty spawn of the most extremely pure evil in the whole universe!!! Die dammit, **DIE**!!!"   
  
  
  
Oni was too startled with Tai's actions that he had absolutely no time to recover from all the punches he was throwing.   
  
  
  
Suddenly, the two heard a loud screeching halt from earth.   
  
  
  
'_Hehehe... the bus that I called on for Sora's premature death_...' Oni thought happily.   
  
  
  
The punches from Tai were stopped, as the teen rose up towards the little ball of Oni's that showed what was happening down on earth. The boy was horror-struck as he glanced down at the glass bubble...   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
"Miss! Miss! I'm very sorry about that! I didn't see the stop sign... Oh poor dear... You must be scared to death!" called out the bus driver as she climbed out of her bus to wards the teen staring wide-eyed at the front of the bus with her mouth wide open in a silent scream as if the whole world had been muted. "Miss...?" she called out again. This time Sora snapped out of her trance and looked over at the older woman.   
  
  
  
"I-I... I'm sorry... I wasn't looking. I mean. There weren't any cars there and then... I didn't know. I should have been more careful... Thank you..." Sora finally said, with a bright, grateful smile. Then she threw her arms around the woman and hugged her tight.   
  
  
  
"Thank you!" she said even more cheerfully. "Thank you!" she smiled as she unfurled her arms from the woman's body. "Thank you!!!" she repeated again as she picked up Tai's cold medicine and waved as she jogged off in the direction of the inn that she and Tai shared.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
Tai smiled at this. Oni was too busy being beaten up by his fist, so buy that he couldn't concentrate on Sora's death. He turned around to face Oni once again... but... Oni had disappeared. The bastard had gone off in another dimension of hell in order form him to run away from the fight.   
  
  
  
"Even _I_ didn't hold as much power as you when I used to be Oni's minion..." said a familiarly calm voice from behind Tai.   
  
  
  
He turned around to face Matt smiling with a shield of bright yellow surrounding him; protecting him from the heat and the fires of hell.   
  
  
  
"Interesting... Now can you tell me how I can get out of here?" Tai asked a little too roughly due to his bad mood from Oni's cowardice.   
  
  
  
"Sure... Just come with me... But... Did you _see_ the end result of your hits Taichi? Oni had black burn marks all over his face!" Matt said, amused.   
  
  
  
"H-How did _that_ happen?" Tai asked curiously.   
  
  
  
"Easy. It was because of the red aura that radiated off of you. Your powers became so intense that it radiated off of you and if or when you touch Oni, he will melt. Literally," he stated.   
  
  
  
Tai nodded slowly before Matt touched his shoulder and the two went sailing across a universe of eternal light...   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
"Tai...? Ta-ai!" a teen age red head with blazing crimson eyes called out at the inn. "Hey! Tai! Where'd you go?" she asked, as she looked for him inside of the bathroom, the bedroom, and the little living room space. No one... "Tai..." she called again.   
  
  
  
Thud.   
  
  
  
Sora looked at the direction of the sound and followed it to the bedroom.   
  
  
  
"Oww..." a dark figure said as they rubbed their behind. "Did you have to make such a painful landing Matt?!" it asked, calling out to an unseen spirit.   
  
  
  
There was a hearty, but ghostly chuckle.   
  
  
  
"Tai?" Sora asked, walking towards the figure.   
  
  
  
The figure looked over at her and beamed. "Sora!"   
  
  
  
Tai stood up, walked to Sora and embraced her, lifting her off her feet, while she laughed. "What's wrong with you Tai?" she asked affectionately. When he finally put her down, her smile faded a little to reveal dangerously inflamed ruby eyes. "What the hell is _wrong_ with you?! You're _sick_!!! Don't you know what that means? You're supposed to _stay_ in bed and not waste your energy! You got me all worried!!!" she scolded him, as she hit him hard on the arm.   
  
  
  
"Ow... It isn't my fault! On-- I just had to use the restroom..." he lied.   
  
  
  
"Yeah. Right. And my mother's really Kangaroo Jack in disguise."   
  
  
  
"No, but really-" he tried again, but he was cut off.   
  
  
  
"What _about_ Oni?" she asked, surprising him.   
  
  
  
'_Dammit... she caught on..._' he thought.   
  
  
  
Sora smirked at this. "So I _was_ right wasn't I?" she asked smiling.   
  
  
  
'_Dammit! It was just a stupid guess_!' he cursed himself. Then again. He couldn't lie to her. "Yeah..."   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
Tai told Sora of everything that had happened, and she finally understood that she was involved deeper in this that she had imagined.   
  
  
  
For goodness sake, he wanted to _kill_ her!   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
Later that night, the two were still up devising a plan on how to finally corner Oni and make him give Tai up. They couldn't very well destroy the demon, but they could at least threaten him and weaken him enough so that he would give Tai's soul up once and for all, and for Tai to finally become a human once again, just like Matt.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
"No... It looks more like a chicken. Can't you see the semi- long neck, the beak and the obvious chicken-like body?" Tai asked Sora as the two sat on the sun bathing chair on the inn porch that night, looking at the stars.   
  
  
  
Sora shifted a little to make herself more comfortable on Tai's stomach. "What do you mean by '_obvious chicken-like body_'? A turkey has the same body as a chicken, just a little larger in size. And it obviously has a longer neck, and that little flap of skin over the beak. It's a turkey!" she said, pointing up towards the made-up constellations of theirs.   
  
  
  
"Okay, okay... you win..." he smirked as he kissed the side of her face. Sora leaned a little more into him as he began making butterfly kisses all the way down to her neck. Sora had to try and suppress and giggle and a moan at the same time. He stopped and looked up at the star lit sky again. "Okay. Whoever finds the big dipper wins," he said, immediately searching for the ladle-like constellation of stars.   
  
  
  
"Wins what?" she asked, as she too, tried to find that specific group of stars.   
  
  
  
"Anything and everything the other person wants."   
  
  
  
Sora smiled at this. "If that's the case then..." she smirked. "There it is," she said, pointing up at the correct constellation. She turned her whole body around and straddled him.   
  
  
  
"What is it that you want Sora?" he asked, raising his hands up to her face, and running his fingers through her fiery hair, staring up at her prefect crimson eyes.   
  
  
  
Sora smiled at his, and kissed him, keeping her lips on his a little longer than necessary. She rested her body on his and curled a little for his warmth, as he continued to subconsciously stroke her hair away from her face. "I love you Tai..." she whispered to him, as she was gently lulled to sleep by his stroking.   
  
  
  
"I love you too Sora..." he whispered back, kissing her forehead.   
  
  
  
"I don't want tonight to end..." she said in a barely audible whisper.   
  
  
  
"Shh..." he calmed her gently. "Go to sleep..." he said, as she quickly listened to his soothing voice, and fell into a deep, comfortable, and safe slumber under the star and moon-lit sky, on the porch on Tokyo Inn.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
**Author's Notes:** I know that it's been a while since I updated. A month actually, and I'm extremely sorry about that. School just doesn't give me as much free time anymore. I'll try and update more frequently but it won't be as frequent as I would like it to be. I'm sorry for the inconvenience. By the way, thank you for all the continuous reviews, even if I haven't reposted my story, people somehow found it and reviewed it. Thank you very much!   
  
  
  
For once, I would like to put a little '**Thank You Post**' for everyone who has reviewed my chapter... because... well... it reached over 100! That's so cool! Thank you all!   
  
  
  
  
**To:**   
  
  
  
  
**angel-trump:** _Thank you so much for reviewing! Thank you for also giving me the motivation to carry on with my fic even if I was pretty busy. I really needed a kick in the right direction! Thank you for giving me that! I hope this gives you some inspiration. I read your fic, and I have to say that I really liked the idea. I've seen one like that for Inuyasha fics, but never for a Digimon fic. Especially a Taiora fic. That's so cool! I would review, but my computer has this stupid pop-up blocker that I can't control. It's weird, and you know how the review page is a pop-up? Well.. yeah I think you catch my drift now.   
Thank you so much once again!_   
  
  
  
  
**TaioraCrazedGirl: **   
_Why... thank you. With every review that I get, I'm still always surprised that people like my fic. Thank you so much for reviewing and I really do hope that you enjoy. By the way... love your pen name ^_^._   
  
  
  
  
**sora-star-child:**   
_Wow... You've read my other stories too and I'm so thankful for that! Thank you so much for reviewing this! Thank you for also being my official 100th reviewer. My sister was actually the one who gave the 100th review, but that's my sister. Thank you so much. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! (I hope that this amounts to as much 'loves' as you gave me about this fic in your review ^_^)._   
  
  
  
  
**Litanya: **   
_Sugar is good for the soul! Hyperness is always good to have. Lol. I'm one to talk since I'm usually always hyper with my friends now-a-days. I didn't really think that this fic was really imaginative, but... well *shrugs* if you say so ^_^. You're the reviewer and reviewers always know best. Oh yeah... yup ^_^. Go Tai go! He always just seemed like the type of person to never give up and defend his honor. _   
  
  
  
  
**Cyber1:**   
_Super Tai. Hahaha!!! Cute o^_^o. Thank you so much for the kawaii little review!!!_   
  
  
  
  
**anime26angel:**   
_Well... What you've read is what just happened. ^_^ Yay! I finally updated! I hope that you enjoyed, as much as I'm enjoying writing this to you! Thank you!!! _ *Hug* (**Umm... if you're into hugs and all... Hehe... I'm hyper right now... you can just ignore me... Lol!!!**)   
  
  
  
  
**Lady Eros:**   
_Your wait has finally ended. Although this chapter wasn't as long as I expected it to be, I hope that it was enjoyable none-the-less, especially with that little fluff scene with Tai and Sora._   
  
  
  
  
**blondie121147:**   
_Hehe... Yay ^_^! Thank you for reviewing! That's a lot of good's... but... They're all very meaningful to me anyway. Thank you so much! _   
  
  
  
  
**BudgerigarLT:**   
_I swear. You've just always been there whenever I posted up a chapter. Thank you so much! I am seriously speechless by the fact that you hadn't missed a beat when it came to this fic and my other fics. Thank you once again, and I seriously don't know how I can repay you. You are seriously the ***best***!!!_   
  
  
  
  
Thank you everyone who also reviewed my other chapters and fics. I love you all so much! Thank you! Thank you! *Wipes a tear and waves* Thank you!   
  
  
  
  
**~Security guard:** Yeah yeah, get it over with ya bozo!   
  
  
**~Me:** Thank you!!!   
  
  
**~Security guard:** I said-   
  
  
**~Me:** Thank you all so very much!   
  
  
**~Security guard:** That's it.   
  
  
***3rd person P.O.V.:** A young, fifteen year-old girl is being dragged away from the streets by a security guard...   
  
  
**THANK YOU**!!!!!!   
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
Please review and I hope that you all enjoyed!!!!   
  
  



	15. A Five Day Training

  
  
  
  
  
**A Devil's Halo:** Part Fifteen   
_A Five Day Training_   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
Oni winced painfully as his salty sweat dropped over one of his Tai-made searing scars. '_Stupid minion... How the hell did he get all that power..._?' he thought as he slowly closed his eyes inside of the clear, body-sized tube that enclosed him... growing more power inside of him. One of his other minions were controlling the power-giving machine, and two more tubes flew out and went through either arm of Oni's.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
"What do you think he's doing right now?" Sora asked, her clear crimson eyes starting intently at Tai.   
  
  
  
"I don't know, but the way Matt explained it, he sounded really injured... just due to the punches that I threw at him... I mean... _Puny human_ punches that I threw at him! How did I get all that power?" Tai asked more to himself, rather than to the girl sitting right across from him.   
  
  
  
"Maybe..." Sora began, but she noticed that Tai wasn't starting directly at her. She reached across the table, and lifted his chin enough so that he could look at her. "Maybe..." she started again with a smile, "... It was because of the fact that a person who you really cared about was in danger?"   
  
  
  
Tai got her point quickly and immediately smiled back at her. "I don't think it's a 'maybe'. I think that's what it is. Period," he said.   
  
  
  
Sora finished her last fry and waited for Tai to finish the rest of his food.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
After eating, the two walked along the streets of Odaiba when Tai suddenly stopped to stare at a poster stapled on an electric wire pole.   
  
  
  
"What is it Tai?" Sora asked curiously, as she moved from her position beside Tai to look at the poster.   
  
  
  


**MISSING:**

  
**NAME:** _Sora Takenouchi_   
**AGE:** _16_   
**HEIGHT:** _5' 4"_   
**DESCRIPTION:** _Has shoulder-length, light brown hair, and unusual crimson eyes. Last seen wearing a short, green, wool skirt with a white blouse and a yellow rain coat, and a red umbrella._   
**LAST SEEN:** _Last seen running towards Odaiba Park to catch up with a young man named Taichi Kamiya._   
  
  
  
It even had a little picture of Sora just underneath the word '_MISSING_'. Tai's picture was underneath as a possible kidnapper.   
  
  
  
Sora let out a little gasp. It wasn't only hell that was trying to come after them. It was also their own world, and Tai was always the culprit.   
  
  
  
"Tai... we have to leave the streets now!" she said, grabbing his hand, as the two ran off quickly to Tokyo Inn for protection.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
Tai laid back, relaxing on the couch, as he turned on the television. He lowered the volume first in order to talk to Sora. "Hey... I guess that faking your name and paying in cash really did work. Now your mom can't track us down, and neither can the police... But... This... We're both like fugitives..."   
  
  
  
Sora walked over to the teen and shook her head. "Don't say that! Okay, so running away from home was a bad idea, and that _is_ a sin and all, but my mom kicking you out was a sin too! You could have gotten sick! You could have died! Oni could have taken you back to hell and I couldn't allow that!" she said, her voice rising slowly. Her eyes became foggy, as she stared at Tai sadly before breaking down into tears.   
  
  
  
"Sora... Sora... Shh... Come on... Don't worry about that... Oni's not going to get me. I guarantee it okay? So... Shh... Don't cry... There's no need for you to cry..." Tai said, as she took gentle hold of the girl. "There's no reason to cry now... Please..."   
  
  
  
"I'm going to hell! I know it! I don't want to go Tai! I can't live there! And I don't want you to leave me! My dad left my family long ago when he cheated on my mom... He went to hell! You didn't do anything as wrong as what he did! How come you have to be stuck down there! I can't, and I won't let you leave Tai! If Oni wants you, he'll have to go through me!" she said defiantly.   
  
  
  
Tai stared at her in horror. No. She had no idea what she was saying. There was no way in the world, heaven or hell that he would let her do that.   
  
  
  
'_Well you've said it... So I'll just go through you first..._' said an ominous voice from below.   
  
  
  
That sent shivers down Tai's spine. Oni... He _was_ getting more powerful. Before it was only his minions and other things supernatural that could hear him. Now even humans could hear him... How in the world...? "No! I've warned you before to stay away from her!" Tai yelled to nothing.   
  
  
  
'_Oh... but she said it herself. Now. In order for me to leave her alone, she'll have to just take it back. Do you take it back bitch_?'   
  
  
  
Sora slightly gasped at his remark, but she shrugged it off. She also shrugged off Tai's pleading for her to take her words back. "No. I won't take it back. There's no way that I'm letting you take Tai without me knowing that I've fought for him too!"   
  
  
  
'_Suit yourself you stupid little slut... You have no idea who you're dealing with..._' With that, the conversation with Oni ended and Tai stared at Sora with such an unbeleiveably worried look that Sora almost regretted saying that to Oni... but no. She didn't regret it. She would keep her word. Besides that. Even if she took back her words, Oni wouldn't listen to her. He would try to kill her anyway. He was a demon, and demons really didn't give a damn if a human took back their words. "Tai... It wouldn't matter anyway... He would have went on trying to kill me anyway. It was the reason he brought you down here in the first place."   
  
  
  
Tai closed his eyes and just pulled Sora into the most meaningful embrace she had ever received.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
"Everyone. Gear up," a soft, but empowering voice said inside of the inn.   
  
  
  
Tai, still obviously groggy from the sudden wake-up call, looked ahead of him towards the porch window, where his guardian angel stood watching the two intently. He turned around and just now felt the comforting warmth of another human body next to him. "Matt... What do you mean?"   
  
  
  
Sora woke from the sound of Tai's voice, and instantly sat up when she heard Matt.   
  
  
  
"Gear up. You heard me. You seriously don't think that you're going to be able to face Oni without actual knowledge on how to defeat him, now do you?" asked Matt.   
  
  
  
Tai shook his head, and stood up instantly noticing the coldness of the room. He then immediately regretted standing up... too... cold....   
  
  
  
"Well then... Get cleaned up you two before I begin speaking. I don't want to be one to suffer through your bad breaths."   
  
  
  
With this, the two teens jumped out of bed. Sora raced Tai to the bathroom and reached it first, slamming the door in his face before he could enter. The only thing he could do then was fix his hair and dress up while waiting.   
  
  
  
When the two were finished doing their daily clean-ups with themselves to maintain hygiene, they sat atop the bed and waited for Matt to begin his explanation.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
"It takes a vast amount of will, for you Tai, to have as much power as you had a couple days ago when you injured Oni pretty badly," Matt explained, looking over in Tai's direction.   
  
  
  
"Yeah... and I bet that will's gonna come pretty easily knowing that Sora stupidly agreed that she would fight Oni before me." Tai received a nasty jab with the elbow from Sora with this comment. "She can't back down from what she said anyway... I think," Tai said, pretty unsure himself if what she swore to Oni really had to be followed.   
  
  
  
"Yeah, she pretty much has to do what she swore on doing in the first place. If she doesn't, then it would be a lie and of course, heaven doesn't approve of lies... even if it's to Oni," the angel explained. "Although I kinda of have to agree with Tai that your choice to fight Oni first was pretty ignorant, it would leave Oni with a little less energy when it comes to fighting with Tai. This would be a great tactic... but there is a chance that you will get hurt." This was directed to Sora, which she nodded to.   
  
  
  
"I know that! Oni's a powerful demon, and all I am and ever was, was a human being. I'm really not sure how to fight something like that guy. Anyway. Can't he hear us?" she question, instantly beginning to be a little creeped out from the fact that the most evil power in the universe could be eavesdropping, catching onto every word they said, finding a plan to counter their attacks.   
  
  
  
"No. I just put some magic to shield this room from demonic powers for now. Anyway. I've got a weapon that you can use against Oni that was used by many purified souls before you," he said, handing Sora a bow and a bunch of quivers inside of a cylindrical- shaped container. "A bow and arrows. I'll teach you how to use this, but first... Tai..."   
  
  
  
Tai snapped his head up from looking at the beige carpeted ground. "Your weapon is a sphere. The problem with this is although you can deflect Oni's powers and fight him off physically with this as you concentrate your powers onto the weapon, you can only throw this weapon once, having a direct hit on your opponent, preferably Oni. After you hit him, he will finally realize that he is defeated. Since he would be defeated, he would be smart enough to understand that you hold more power over him, and could destroy him if pushed too far, so he will just leave you alone and never try to bring you to hell ever again."   
  
  
  
Tai nodded. "Cool."   
  
  
  
"Your training will begin tomorrow at four o'clock in the morning."   
  
  
  
"Four o'clock?! Are you outta wack?" Sora exclaimed at Matt. Four o'clock in the morning. The guy seriously was _crazy_ if he thought that she would willingly wake up at four.   
  
  
  
"No. If you don't want to die, take my information, register it in your brain, _keep_ it in your brain and listen to it. Okay. I have to leave. Just be awake at four tomorrow. We can't do it any later because that's when heaven's demon barriers are the strongest. I'll see you two tomorrow bright and early!" the tow head said before disappearing into the air.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
Sora turned to glare at Tai, obviously annoyed.   
  
  
  
"What?" He blinked. What did he do that would piss her off?   
  
  
  
"Can you believe him?! Waking up at four?!" she yelled.   
  
  
  
"Sora... It's not _my_ fault. Please try and calm yourself down!"   
  
  
  
"Sorry... Sorry... I'm just grumpy right now..." she explained.   
  
  
  
"Okay, just... don't take out your PMS on me Sor... not now," he smiled.   
  
  
  
Sora blushed at this. How had he known? Damn... she left her little '_feminine sanitary napkins_' aka '_pads_' on top of the bathroom shelf. "I... I'm... Hmmmph!" she ended, folding her arms across her chest, turning on the television.   
  
  
  
Sheesh, not going to school and spending most, if not all, your time with a girl will seriously annoy her when she's on her time-of-the-month. This made Tai laugh a little before he ordered room service for their breakfast.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
Sora woke up early the next day. Too early. Even the birds weren't up yet. Damn Matt... With this thought out of her head, she turned to Tai's sleeping form and not-too-gently shook him awake.   
  
  
  
She smiled as he fell off the bed in surprise... Waking up at four in the morning with your time-of-the-month would really take it's toll on the actions of an 'innocent' girl.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
"How do you hold this?" Sora asked. She thought that it would be easy. Take the bow, grab an arrow from behind, inside of it's little cyndrical container strapped on your back, and shoot. No... this defiantly wasn't easy. She had to position the arrow just so on the bow, and aim precisely because of the fact that she only had a few arrows to waste.   
  
  
  
This wasn't much easier on Tai either. He had never held a weapon before. Okay, maybe a gun so he would die a quick painless death, but that was only once. Besides, this weapon did not have a precise grip, and it was only one so he would have to aim and throw at the exact target. If not, he might just never have another chance again. Great. Too much damn pressure.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
"Oni-sama... They have received help," said one of Oni's minion's, as it knelt down before the capsule-like tube where Oni was still contained in.   
  
  
  
"Thank you... but their help will turn out fruit-less in the end anyway... No need to worry," stated the demon.   
  
  
  
"Yes sir."   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
Matt snapped his fingers and the three ended up inside of a completely white room which contained a digitized human being and a target.   
  
  
  
Tai and Sora stared at that. This was turning out to be something like the Matrix. Heh...   
  
  
  
"Sora, you will be practicing with the target. Tai, this digitized human can move just as well and as fast as Oni. You will be practicing with this. You two should consider yourselves lucky since I never had this much help when I was about to fight Oni. Then again, Oni wasn't inside of a machine making himself even more powerful than before," Matt explained.   
  
  
  
The two nodded. They would only have a few days to perfect this...   
  
  
  
"You two understand that if you don't perfect this in five days, you will still have the weapons, but they will be useless. I want to help you, but I can't. I am an angel, and I cannot help with your fight for freedom."   
  
  
  
"We understand... but... five days..." Tai began.   
  
  
  
"I know... It's very short, but you will have five _whole_ days to practice. One hundred and twenty hours, roughly, to practice. Please make use of it. I made this room for you two by myself..." Matt smirked at this. He sincerely wanted to help, and asking the higher power to create this room certainly raised the couple's chances to win against Oni. "Call if you need anything!"   
  
  
  
With that. Matt disappeared.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
**Author's Notes:** Okay, now I've finished with another chapter. Finally, the two will fight each other. I hope that you enjoyed!!! Please review!!!   
  
  
  
By the way, I'm sorry that it took so long for me to update. I finished writing this chapter a while ago, but then I didn't really like it, so I deleted more than half of it and wrote a whole different thing. I think this turned out better than the first one.   
  
  
  
Oh yeah, that chat between Tai and Sora about her PMS was just there for comic releif and an explination for the reason why Sora was yelling at Matt because of course, usually, if it was important, she wouldn't mind waking up that early. Besides... I think that the few chapters aheade, when Tai fights with Oni, will be anything but funny... I think...   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
**Special Thanks to My Reviewers:**   
  
  
  
  
**dorkiss:**   
  
Yes... I know how you feel. As I was writing, I too wanted to kill Oni. His day will come. Well.. he's not going to die because there must always be a balance between good and evil,. but he _will_ finally leave Tai and Sora alone. And yesss.... ^_^ fluff! Don't you just love it? Hehe. Thank you so much for reviewing, and I really love your stories!!! Please continue them!!! Especially 'Her Favorite Color'. I _love_ that story! Hence the fact that it's on my favorites!   
  
  
  
  
**Litanya:**   
  
Hehe.... Thank you for thinking it's funny. I really didn't think people would catch my somewhat hidden joke- like things. ^_^. I hope that your exams went well. I would have said good luck, but then again, I just updated. Thank you for reviewing! I mean _really..._ _truly..._ _absolutely..._ Okay, I'm going to shut up now... hehe...   
  
  
  
  
**TaioraCrazedGirl:**   
  
Of course you're noticed! When you write stories, you will always be noticed. Especially if you review my stories.. hehe... *hint* *hint*. I swear, I **love** your commercial breaks. Funny!!! Thank you for reviewing! By the way, keep up with your story! Stories with plots are always the good ones... heh... and I don't have a lot of those... hehe...   
  
  
  
  
**sora-star-child:**   
  
Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! Hehehe... I hope that this equals the amount of 'loves' you put!!! I sincerely mean it!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I didn't know people would actually _love_ this story!!! I have finally let my fingers begin typing again. *Sniffs* I have a gift...? Thank you!! Lol, there it is again!   
  
  
  
  
**Lady Eros:**   
  
I know what you mean. The whole Sorato thing was wa-ay too surprising. Shocking even. Forget Toei. I mean, yeah, thank them for making Digimon and all so that we have something to write about, but forget them for putting Sora with Matt. Seriously... who would ever think, after all the hints were pointing to Tai and Sora, than Sora and Matt would be with each other? Oh well. No need to stress. We have Taiora in our minds, and that's all the matters. Thank you fro reviewing! Thank you so much!!! And yes... of course... Taiora **does** rock. *Grins*.   
  
  
  
  
***NoKkAx*:**   
  
This story really _is_ one of your favorites? Cooliolio!!!! *Blushes* I-I... I don't even know what to say... *At a loss for words*. T-Th...Thank you... *she manages anyway ^_^*   
  
  
  
  
**blondie121147:**   
  
Hehe... that's a lot of numbers behind your name. Thank you for reviewing, and you welcome. I just decided that everyone who reviewed deserved praise, and here's the second part of it. I should do this more often. It makes me feel happy! I have put your wait to a stop for now with this chapter... A couple more to come... please wait for those too. I really appreciate your reviews and thank you once again!   
  
  
  
  
**Taichi Kamiya02:**   
  
It's okay, it's okay. People tend to forget things. No matter. You remembered right? That's all that matters now. Hehe... I know that too much homework was a lame excuse.. and if I say that I had too much homework again I would be lying. I was just lazy, and I had to rewrite parts of the story as I've said before. I'll try to make my updates quicker, but I can't guarantee it. I just hope that you remain patient. I really love your reviewing... please... Ummm... Please don't forget again? I would be devastated... *Puppy dog eyes*   
  
  
  
  
**BudgerigarLT:**   
  
**THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! ** I love all of your reviews, and I love the fact that you've always been there to review!!! **THANK YOU BUDGIE**!!! You are seriously the best reviewer in the whole entire world!!! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for always being there!!!   
  
  
  
  
**Sarika Kamiya01:**   
  
Hehe... Yep... I'm finally being dragged into the nut house. It shouldn't have taken this long for the officials to realize that I was crazy... *Sigh* Oh well... hehe. Funny review!!! I always love a good laugh!!! Thank you!!!   
  
  
  
  
I love all of you!!! Thank you so much for reviewing!!! Until next time everyone!!! Talk to you then!!!   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
_The Way of Heaven does not compete,   
And yet it skillfully achieves victory.   
It does not speak,   
And yet it skillfully responds to things.   
It comes to you without your invitation. _   
**--Lao-Tzu **   
  
  
  
  



	16. All She's Taught Me

  
  
  
  
**A Devil's Halo:** Part Sixteen   
'_All She's Taught Me_'   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
Five days. Five days was all they had. Five days had passed. They have had their five days and now it was the time to face Oni. No one could be more ready.   
  
  
  
Tai had his sphere in his fist never to let it go until that one, hopefully faithful, moment when he would strike Oni and scare him just so.   
  
  
  
Sora had her bow in her hands and the container where all the arrows were in, strapped on her back.   
  
  
  
Yes, they were ready. Ready to face the most powerful evil in the universe and all of the dimensions that existed. The two were walking out of the white room that Matt had made for them to train in. They looked oh so ready too.   
  
  
  
It looked like a scene from Armageddon, with the bright light shining behind them, and the dramatic music.   
  
  
  
Then Tai tripped. The bright light faltered and the dramatic music ended abruptly.   
  
  
  
"Owww..." he whined as he picked himself back up.   
  
  
  
Sora was at the back, laughing so hard she was turning red. "Tai, you are such a dork!" she said, as she helped him up.   
  
  
  
As the two began to walk again, and Sora contained her laughter, the music was once again played, and the bright light turned on once again.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
"Are you ready for this Sora?" Tai asked, his chocolate orbs shining, as he stared at his girlfriend.   
  
  
  
Sora nodded. "I couldn't be anymore ready. My arm's had time to feel better. I swear, holding that bow that particular way that Matt showed, really gives it some strain."   
  
  
  
"Can't say it's different for the sphere. Anyway... Matt said that these are the clouds where it's easier for Oni to contact us. Let's just... be ready in case he pulls us right into hell and starts fighting us while we still try to recover from the fall..." said Tai. Doubts were already floating through his head.   
  
  
  
"Tai!" Sora said, as she lightly pushed him for entering the thoughts into her head.   
  
  
  
"Sorry... Sorry... We're going to be fine. We've been training so hard, and it's impossible to not be at least a little like a pro right?"   
  
  
  
"Yeah... I guess you're right..." she said.   
  
  
  
'_Well **I** don't..._' said a double-octave voice from below.   
  
  
  
"Oni," Tai said, looking down below the clouds as if he could see hell.   
  
  
  
'_I guess your little girlfriend wasn't going to back down. Great! The more people I get to kill. It's been so long since I've killed them physically..._' the voice explained.   
  
  
  
Tai sneered. What a sick being...   
  
  
  
"Are you just going to keep talking or are you going to try and drag our struggling bodies to hell already?" Sora snapped.   
  
  
  
Oni laughed at this. '_Fiesty little bitch aren't you? Just what I need with me in hell..._'   
  
  
  
With this, Tai growled. "Even if we _do_ lose to you, I'd rather be run over a semi-truck a millions times alive before I let you touch one strand of hair on Sora!"   
  
  
  
'_I'd love to see that... But for now. Let's fight this once and for all._'   
  
  
  
With that, the two fell into a pit of blazing fire.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
The attack just seemed to come out of nowhere. The fire ball had charred one other minion of Oni's, but it's leader didn't really seem to mind. All he really cared about was getting rid of the two pesky humans of their bodies, to get their souls.   
  
  
  
Tai instantly began to spin his sphere around like a windmill, and the fire ball was quickly sent flying back to it's maker.   
  
  
  
Oni jumped over it swiftly, therefore proving that this battle would not end so easily.   
  
  
  
"I can't just keep shielding from his attacks Sor. We have to switch to the offensive side," Tai told the fiery-haired girl over his shoulder.   
  
  
  
Sora nodded at this and grabbed and arrow, aiming to shoot.   
  
  
  
"Your puny weapons harm me just as much as a dust mite harms me when it falls only my skin!" Oni exclaimed   
  
  
  
Tai stared at the demon with disbelief. He looked over to Sora, as she let go of the arrow.   
  
  
  
Miss.   
  
  
  
That same evil laughter was the same laughter that Oni had used when speaking to Tai before. It was the type of laughter in which no other being could conjure. Only those with pure evil and hatred stored inside of them, and Oni seemed just the guy. Duh. He _did_ control all of hell.   
  
  
  
Oni watched as the arrow went shooting past his head. With that, he smiled. "You were really that stupid enough to face me without getting enough training... I knew that you were stupid to begin with, but I never knew that you were stupid enough to lose your life by me! I thought that you loved life!"   
  
  
  
"Not as much as I love Tai! I would do anything for him-" she said, with passion and truth held within her eyes. "- Whether he likes it or not... I'd even give up my life just to give him another chance at what he once thought was a wasted gift," she finished.   
  
  
  
Tai gave her a surprised look, but quickly changed that into a stern one which implied 'no'. But before any of them knew it, Sora had already let go of another one of her arrows, hitting Oni with it on the arm.   
  
  
  
Sora held a triumphant grin with this, as she dodged another one of the demon's attacks.   
  
  
  
"You insignificant bitch!" Oni yelled out, as he threw a fire ball at her, using his free hand to hold the wound. Sora's arrow had gone through him like a powerful acid on powder. How?   
  
  
  
Tai smirked. "You're against a past demon and pure spiritual powers Oni. Give it up!" he was tantalizing his late master.   
  
  
  
"How the hell..." Oni wondered out loud.   
  
  
  
"Sora's spirit, no matter how much you try to corrupt it, is still pure. Her intentions are good, and the deeds she's done are countless. This therefore gives her the power to destroy evil such as yourself."   
  
  
  
"Impossible!" the demon yelled out loud. With that, he leaned his forearm back, and flung with all his might, directly at what he now called his 'first major threat': Sora Takenouchi.   
  
  
  
Everything happened so quickly that Tai had no time to rush and shield her.   
  
  
  
When Sora flew against one of hell's wall, she was instantly unconscious, harboring burns across her chest, arms, and part of her legs. Tai ran up to her and cradled her in his arms... She was barely breathing and he had to get her out of there that instant. As he picked her up though, and walked towards the area where heaven could easily be contacted, Oni blocked his path.   
  
  
  
"And where do you think _you're_ going slave?" Oni spat out, all his words full of malice. The ass...   
  
  
  
"Up. Where else?" Tai tried back.   
  
  
  
"You don't belong there. You never did belong there. Your fate was hell and no one in this universe could contradict fate," Oni answered.   
  
  
  
"I don't care! Sora told me about life! She taught me so much, and since I'm given a chance to try and get a second life, I'm not wasting it. Move out of my way!"   
  
  
  
"You'll just have to defeat me then... Hahaha... No. I mean, _I'll_ just have to defeat you and show you where your place is! I'll make you regret ever turning your back on me!"   
  
  
  
Tai placed Sora down on a safe spot, close to the area where the call to heaven could be made. "I'll be back Sor... Please hold on," he said as he placed a kiss on her temple and stood up. "This is between you and me now."   
  
  
  
Oni smiled. "What I've always wanted it to be...". He quickly grabbed Tai's shirt and punched him multiple times, with fire on his fists, therefore applying burns on Tai's face.   
  
  
  
Tai was groaning underneath Oni, as the pain was doubled due to the fire. As the punches continued, he felt warm liquid slide down his face... He felt so weak...   
  
  
  
"How do you like the pain Otrisaki? How do you like that? Do you understand now? The pain..." Oni yelled as he stood up and kicked Tai in the stomach.   
  
  
  
Tai went flying backwards due to Oni's strength. As he slammed against hell's wall, he remained quite still.   
  
  
  
Oni began to guffaw at the consequences for his actions. This was enjoyable. The puny human wasn't dead yet now was he? He was just beginning to have fun. "Otrisaki..." he chanted as he stepped closer to Tai's unmoving body. "Otrisaki..."   
  
  
  
Visions of Sora past through his head. Her words, which were now forever etched into his memory echoed through his mind. Words of her reasons why life was so important... Words of her love, her loyalty, and her determination to help him break free of Oni's wrath. This gave him strength enough to pick himself back up.   
  
  
  
Oni stared horror struck at this. The 'puny human' wasn't as puny as the demon thought he was. He covered his fright-stricken face with malicious laughter. "That's good. At least, I'll have more fun torturing you!" he exclaimed as he threw a fire ball at Tai's shoulder.   
  
  
  
Tai could not move out of the way in time. Instead, he took the damage and took his sphere in his now, only working arm.   
  
  
  
Oni threw another fire ball, hitting Tai at the same exact place. There were no screams of agony coming out from the young man though, which frightened Oni a little. Instead, he continued to walk forwards, not even wincing from the pain.   
  
  
  
The demon continued aiming and firing, but now Tai was close enough to touch. The boy was mad if he thought he could live, being that close to his fire balls.   
  
  
  
"What the hell are you thinking b-" Oni began, but he was easily shut up by the sphere that came into contact with his gut.   
  
  
  
"We..." Tai whispered to his past master. "Won..." he continued as he fell down on his knees and blacked out.   
  
  
  
Oni let out an excruciatingly agonizing yell, which echoed through the halls of the seven hells.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
**Author's Notes:** I'm sorry for not updating sooner. I seriously, apologize. I wasn't at all busy, but I was too lazy and I was all out of ideas. I'm not very into writing action so I was stumped when I began writing this chapter. I hope that you all enjoyed though.   
  
  
  
b>Note: This is not the end. There is an epilogue.   
  
  
  
My little '_Special Thanks_' space ^_^:   
  
  
  
To:   
  
  
  
  
***NoKkAx*:**   
Compliments? Hehe... _Me_ deserve _compliments_? Lol. That'll be the day. That you so much though and you're very welcome. You deserve to be in my special thanks section. Hehe... but I hope that you don't have a bad grade because of me. By the way, what do you mean that your english sucks? I thought that it was your first language by the way you were typing. I'm serious. There are no grammatical errors. Promise. Thank you **so** overly much for reviewing! Also, for being my 120th reviewer!!! **^_^**   
  
  
  
  
**dorkiss:**   
Don't worry... lol... You're right though. Any girl with a period and her... ehh... mood swings... are _never_ good. Being a girl myself, I don't really know how guys feel about it, but then I get the point when they hold up their white flags and surrender to my er....scary-ness (Sorry, it's my new made-up word). Hehe. I wish i knew how to use a bow and arrow too... That would be **too** cool. Plus it'll give me a better eye-hand coordination rather than just tennis. Thank you for reviewing! I can't wait to read more of your story either!!! **^_^**   
  
  
  
  
**TaioraCrazedGirl:**   
Yeah, I was thinking of making it five in the morning, but then I realized that I used to wake up that early... and it was still not as early as I wanted it to be... Weird... But to tell you the truth, I'd never wake up that early to learn archery, even if it sounds interesting... I practically _sleep_ at that time. I checked your story! Did ya see my review? Hehehe. Anyway, thank you for reviewing! **^_^**   
  
  
  
  
**Sarika Kamiya01:**   
I've always wanted to go to the nut house where many Taiora authors who went crazy after writing so much after the end of '02. Hehehe... you're words exactly but yeah... I couldn't help myself. They were funny! Thank you for your review. It's great to have a good laugh after a bad day. I hope that you enjoyed! **^_^**   
  
  
  
  
**Taichi Kamiya02:**   
Wow... Two days to shoot with a bow. It would probably take me two years. Heh.... How did you brake your arm? That must've hurt and suck at the same time. Coolie. I love reviewers with patience. Thank you so much for your review!!! **^_^**   
  
  
  
  
**Litanya:**   
It's okay if you don't review in the next few chapters. I just want to thank you for reviewing anyway! ^_^. OoOo... an exchange school? That sounds to cool. I'm sorry if the fight between Tai, Oni and Sora was a little disappointing. I'm not very into writing action as I've said at the top, but yeah. I hope that you catch my concept anyway. Thank you so much for your review and I really do hope that your hosts are nice enough to not deprive you of your internet privileges. ** ^_^**   
  
  
  
  
**BudgerigarLT:**   
I'm sorry that soon wasn't enough but yeah... I'm a lazy person when it comes to lifting a finger... but I do it anyway... all the while being the the process of procrastination. Hehe... A feather... Now I'm _really_ sorry for not updating sooner... Please don't... ¿hurt? me. Hehehe. If there's even any possible way of hurting people with feathers... Hmm... Thank you for once again reviewing! Thank you! Thank you!!! **^_^**   
  
  
  
  
**Lil Drowned One:**   
Sleepy... Mmmm... sleep. Now there's something I haven't done very much of for more than two weeks now. Thank you very much school. Anyways, yeah, don't worry about not being able to read the whole story in just a day. You have to admit that fifteen chapters, with about two thousand plus worlds each in them, are pretty long. Anyway, thank you soooo much for reviewing, and I can't wait until your next chapter(s) will be posted up. Talk to ya later!!! ^_^   
  
  
  
  
**hyper katana 49737:**   
Oh wow... That's a lot of reviews. I hope that you continue reading the fic... and I hope that you continue reviewing. I mean it... for both of what I said. Thank you so much for the reviews!!! You're so funny ^_______^. I just _had_ to postpone posting this chapter up 'cause I wanted to give you a shout out too. Thank you! Thank you so very ultra much. Haha!!   
**Re cap on one of your reviews: **   
  
_how swet! kawaii.. *sniff* and that would make tai, say... sixty sixyears old? about? i'm just glad that he's been dead for fifty years other wise..._   
**tai:** _huh?_   
**k-chan:** _taichi no hentai! your sixty six years old and   
almst having sex with a sixteen year old! pervert..._   
**tai:** _owwie..._   
  
That was _so_ funny, but true at the same time! Thank you again for reviewing! Especially with your hilarious reviews! ^_^   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
To be continued...   
  
  
  
  
"**It's truly love if you are able to look beyond your love's mistakes of the past into the happiness of your future**."   
--Me 


	17. Epilogue

  
  
  
  
  
**A Devil's Halo:** Part Seventeen   
_Epilogue_   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
A blinding flash was seen throughout the premises of hell as one holy angel appeared, barely touching the flame licked floors. He half glided half walked towards the two human figures lying down on the ground. One suffered from burns along the front starting from the chest, while the other, also suffering from severe burns, suffered deep wounds.   
  
  
  
He shook his head at the bloody sight around him, then gently placed both his hands over the two bodies. With that, another blinding flash took place, this time with the angel and the two humans disappearing along with it. Oni's minions stared for a second longer before scurrying across the grounds to their master.   
  
  
  
Curiosity got the best of them, and they began poking at the lifeless body of who was once their everlasting tormentor and leader. When they figured out that their leader was completely destroyed now, they looked at each other hungrily...   
  
  
  
There were smacking of the lips and ripping of a body somewhere near the heart of hell. The shadows showed an action so horrendous and sickening as tortured soul after tortured soul took a piece for themselves, for the hunger that they had to live with for nearly an eternity without Oni feeding them was tremendous.   
  
  
  
The fires reflected the dancing shadows against hells walls, as they laughed and cleansed their fingers with their tongues in joyous celebration.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
The angel placed the two bodies down on their respected bed at the inn and sat silently and patiently as he waited for even the slightest stirring of life from any of the two. He had cleansed their wounds with his powers and bandaged them up as well as he could. He wasn't powerful enough to heal them completely yet.   
  
  
  
Just then, the body of the young woman began to move as she felt around for another source of warmth. When she couldn't find it, she opened her eyes wide with fright as she scrambled off the bed in a frenzied search. She relaxed a bit when she finally found what she had been looking for.   
  
  
  
The boy with wild brown hair lay stock still as gentle fingers slid along the frame of his face, down to every bandaged scratch and burn on him. The sight was so overwhelmingly melancholy as tears streaked the grief-stricken face of the lovely girl with crimson orbs. Her feelings were completely pressured on grief, regret, and anger. Grief because someone who she truly loves was injured this badly. Regret because she could not dodge the fire ball attack and continue to help the boy of topic with the defeat. Anger at the demon who had done this to him.   
  
  
  
"I-Is... Is he going to be..." the fiery-eyed girl looked up at the guardian angel with question in her eyes.   
  
  
  
"He had dealt with quiet a few blows from Oni there Sora, but in time he will heal. Just give him this everyday for the next two weeks, or until he awakens." With that, the angel, Matt, handed Sora a vile containing a bright yellow... liquid? Or was that just light?   
  
  
  
"What is it?" she asked confused for a moment.   
  
  
  
"It is a purification light. Tai will not be able to heal completely if traces of Oni's evil power still reside inside of him. You however have nothing to worry about since your own purification system inside your body is doing it for you. Consider yourself lucky." Sora nodded with gratification at the never-aging angel before her. "I...Is it... Over?" she asked slowly.   
  
  
  
"Tai killed Oni. He was only supposed to defeat him, but his will power to live had risen to it's peak when he realized that his human body could not take anymore of Oni's fire balls. Before he could reach even an arm's length of Oni, he struck with as much power through the sphere as he was feeling. Since Oni went into that machine to gain even more power, he should have never died with just that blow. He would have been defeated but not killed, but just recently, I found out that we had a little demon/ angel along with us.   
  
  
  
"He had first sided with Oni, being the faithful, *two thousand year-old servant he was, but in the end, when Oni had all his plans straightened out, he did not need the minion anymore. Instead, he tried to dispose of him. He thought that he had gotten rid of him, but he had not.   
  
  
  
"When the minion returned to Oni once again, Oni was surprised, but happy because he needed a faithful servant to help him power the machine, and control it. By now the minion had been angry at Oni, and hated him for wanting to get rid of him, so instead of completely raising Oni's power by one hundred percent, he had decreased it. Oni thought that the reason he could contact humans on earth was because of the fact that he had gotten stronger, but the real reason was because he had gotten weaker. He became so weak that the power that he used to conceal his voice from humans was not present in his body anymore."   
  
  
  
Sora just stood there surprised to hear all this. '_I guess not even the most powerful being in the universe can keep track of every little detail of the world. Maybe that's why some good people die when they still have a brighter future ahead of them. They are all accidents, and their soul could just be an addition to the 'Guardian Angel' list_.' she thought.   
  
  
  
"Just give me a shout when Tai wakes up. We need to confirm everything that he has earned."   
  
  
  
"Wait Matt-" Sora began, as Matt turned back to face her with his clear, azure eyes.   
  
  
  
"Yes?" he asked, arching one eyebrow up for an exaggerated questioning look.   
  
  
  
The action made Sora smile gently at her heavenly friend (no pun intended). "You never really answered me..." she began.   
  
  
  
"With what?"   
  
  
  
"When I asked you if it was over. Is it over Matt? What happened to Oni?" She was deliberately trying to peel answers off of him like a banana.   
  
  
  
"They will be looking for a new leader now. They are smart enough to understand that they cannot rule hell by themselves. As for Oni's fate... I had already explained that he had died. His body is buried within the stomaches of his tortured, starved minions. They never really liked the guy... But hey... he had been there for about two thousand years right?" Matt answered. "You need more rest Sora. Go back and sleep some more. Just don't forget to call..."   
  
  
  
Another blindingly white light was shown as Matt snapped and was returned to his ever-lasting home.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
After so many months to heal from the damage that Oni afflicted onto Tai and Sora's bodies, the two came out of the inn looking just like new. Unfortunately for them, they had forgotten about that little 'Missing' poster that was stapled onto an electric wire pole before their training to fight Oni had started.   
  
  
  
As the pair walked around the sidewalks of Odaiba, they were shot accusing glances, which were directed towards Tai, and confused glances toward Sora. The looks they were being given made Sora curious, all the while causing Tai to become angrier and angrier. Finally, Tai's last nerve was popped and he grabbed the nearest 'starers' shirt collar and yelled, "What the hell do you think you're staring at? All of you? What the hell is your problem?!"   
  
  
  
Sora grabbed his arm and tried to pry his fingers off the man's shirt, but his grip was too firm. "Tai... Let the man go..." she kept her voice low, but it harbored a warning tone inside of it.   
  
  
  
"Who the hell does he think he is? What's up with the whole damn town?!" he snapped glaring at the passers by.   
  
  
  
Just when he yelled to practically the whole world, sirens were heard as the two froze on spot, looking nervously towards one another. What was this all about now? Was it just because Tai was causing such a scene?   
  
  
  
Then it dawned on her, "Tai... Ta- Tai!!! We have to go. _Now_," Sora said, grabbing the brown-haired, mop head, causing him to let go of his embarrassed 'victim'.   
  
  
  
The two ran as fast as they could towards an isolated, narrow alley where they stopped to catch their breath. "What's going _on_ Sora?" Tai asked as he gulped in some oxygen to fill his lungs.   
  
  
  
"The poster! The _Missing_ poster Tai! Don't you remember it?" she asked, glaring up at him.   
  
  
  
"Oh holy-" Tai began, as his eyes became wider.   
  
  
  
"Yes! I know! How do we get out of this one now huh?" she asked him with worry.   
  
  
  
"We... We have to surrender," Tai whispered back to her.   
  
  
  
She began staring at him as if he were the most unusual thing in the whole world. "What?! What are you _thinking_?!"   
  
  
  
"Look Sora. After how hard we fought against Oni, there's _no way _that I'm going back to hell for this. We have to turn ourselves in. If we don't then we're just as bad as the guilty, run away murderers. Besides, since we won, Heaven gave me a new profile. A new life. Let's test it out, and prove everyone wrong," he said a little too calmly, but Sora knew that he only sounded like this because he did not want to worry her with doubt.   
  
  
  
"Tai... But I ran away. Don't I get a punishment for that?" she asked.   
  
  
  
Tai smirked. "You read too much American law novels Sor," he said.   
  
  
  
Sora sighed at this. "Fi... Fine..." she answered eventually.   
  
  
  
"Good. Now we shouldn't make any sudden movements, 'cause they might think that we have weapons for no particular reason," Tai said, as he took her hand and lead her towards the flashing lights.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
"Sora! Sora! My baby! You've found my baby!" Mrs. Takenouchi practically ran out of her home when the police light shown through her curtains. Sora's friends were also accompanying her, worried as hell for their friend... Some also for Tai.   
  
  
  
Sora stood outside a cop car, staring at her mother coldly. As the older woman wrapped her arms around her daughter, Sora just stood stock-still, not even gesturing any moves to return her hugs.   
  
  
  
"Sora... What's wrong dear?" her mother asked.   
  
  
  
"Mom. They put him in jail! He doesn't deserve it! He didn't kidnap me! _ I_ ran after _him_," the young, distressed girl said, silently scolding her mother.   
  
  
  
"Sora dear, he does deserve it... I mean- He...? I-it..." Mrs. Takenouchi stammered, she was at a loss for words.   
  
  
  
"No mom. _He_. The files that you found were wrong! Do you really believe that he's back from the undead?" she asked her mother, staring up at her eyes, with her very own crimson ones. She knew better than to lie, but telling the truth wouldn't solve the problem. Instead it might just bring scientists from all over the world to dissect Tai. Yes, lying would be a better way out of this. Besides, she wasn't completely lying when she said that the files were wrong. Heaven made new files for Tai, claiming him to be 'Taichi Yagami'.   
  
  
  
"B-But... Who else can have that face? That same name?" Sora's mother was becoming all the more confused.   
  
  
  
"Mom... Look. If you still don't believe me, well Tai's parents got him a representative so this would all be solved in court. Besides, _he_ was the one who told me that we should stop running away," she said plainly.   
  
  
  
"O... Okay then..." her mother was still lost.   
  
  
  
Sora just smiled as the police lights slowly faded away from the neighborhood streets, and she and her best friend, Mimi Tachikawa, talked all night long, filling in their time spent apart with their stories from the past weeks.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
It had been weeks since that whole ordeal with jail, lawyers and court houses. All the hassle had finally diminished. Tai looked through his files and found out that he lived with a mother, a father, and a little sister. Kind of like the family that he once had, but not quite. (This is if you read about his past). It took him a little getting used to, in order for him to be comfortable in that family and feel at home, but along the way he finally realized that this was all part of what he fought Oni for: a new life, and a new life needed a family.   
  
  
  
Of course, to the Yagami's they always thought that Tai had been with them for his whole life. They were just confused as to why he was acting a little distant from them up until a week ago. They were just happy that he was 'back to normal'.   
  
  
  
Heaven finally decided that they should give Tai 'memories' of his 'past' with the Yagami's, so he wouldn't feel so left out whenever they had family stories. This of course turned out to be a good thing, and only brought him closer to his new family.   
  
  
  
(*A/N: Oh the concept is so confusing!!!)   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
A light breeze blew on a usual summer night as two figures laid lazily on a hammock. The moon had already risen to the tops of the trees, and scattered chirping could be heard all around, thanks to the crickets.   
  
  
  
A young man dangled one leg out from a thin blanket covering he and a young woman lying on his chest, in order to swing the hammock slightly.   
  
  
  
"Tai...?" the young woman called lightly to her companion.   
  
  
  
"Mmm..."   
  
  
  
"You awake?" she whispered softly. She wanted to know, so she wouldn't be disturbing his sleep when she moved.   
  
  
  
"Mmm... Don't move," he said, wrapping his arms around her to keep her still.   
  
  
  
"I can't. My arm's asleep..." she smirked, as she lifted herself just slightly, then heavily dropped herself back on him.   
  
  
  
"Oof! What was that for?!" he exclaimed, instantly sitting up.   
  
  
  
The red head shook her head and laughed. "Okay, okay... I'm sorry!"   
  
  
  
"Yeah yeah," he said, swatting away that conversation. "Okay. Now. Just lay still, and don't try to knock the breath outta me again!" the boy said, resting back down.   
  
  
  
"I can't promise you anything," she replied with a smirk.   
  
  
  
"Then I'll just have to make you, won't I?" Tai said, raising his hands up to tickle Sora's most sensitive areas.   
  
  
  
"Hey! Haha! No! Haha! Sto~op!!!" she yelled, all-the-while breaking down into fits of laughter.   
  
  
  
He then halted his actions, and somehow was now looming over her form. The two gazed at each other from what little light the moon overhead casted, before he slowly bent over to give her a gentle, chaste kiss.   
  
  
  
As soon as they pulled away, Sora playfully swatted his arm. "You little devil!" she glared, jokingly at him.   
  
  
  
When things began to settle down once more, pure silence spread through the air, silencing the crickets too.   
  
  
  
"Sora?" Tai asked, therefore, breaking the content silence.   
  
  
  
"Hmm...?"   
  
  
  
"So what is this? The end?" he asked.   
  
  
  
"Of course not. It's too happy to be the end," Sora stated.   
  
  
  
"What do you mean? Haven't you ever heard of the phrase '_Happily ever after_'?"   
  
  
  
"Yes I have, and I think it's a load of bull. How about... '_Normally ever after_'?" she suggested.   
  
  
  
"Nah, too... ehh... Well... It's not catchy enough," he said, taking his forefinger, and twirling a strand of red hair atop Sora's head.   
  
  
  
"Besides, it's not the end. It's only the end when you die, and even then the world still turns."   
  
  
  
"What about... '_The way two normal human beings live until their ripe old age-'_ Err... _'Ever After'_'."   
  
  
  
Sora smirked. "You've got to be kidding me!" she exclaimed, holding in her laughter, but seeing Tai's serious, confused face made her lose all control. She threw her head back and just laughed.   
  
  
  
"What?" he asked, seriously oblivious.   
  
  
  
"Tai. You are such an idiot!" she said, laughing until her aching sides couldn't take anymore abuse. As she was being lulled to sleep by Tai's rocking, she snuck in a few giggles, before she fell asleep, with a grin plastered on her face.   
  
  
  
Tai looked towards the moon questioningly. "I don't get it..." he said, scratching his head with annoyance before following Sora's actions, and slept.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
Showers of sparks and hammering could be heard throughout an empty, white hallway in heaven. A curious bystander decided to investigate on what all the ruckus was about, so he began to follow the noises.   
  
  
  
He finally stopped in front of a usual, unmarked door. Since Heaven held no secrets, no soul had to knock, so the curious figure let himself in.   
  
  
  
"What are you making there?" a familiar, blonde angel asked, as he looked over the shoulder of the archangel.   
  
  
  
"A halo Matt, a halo," the archangel stated simply.   
  
  
  
"A halo?" Matt repeated, questionly.   
  
  
  
"Yes."   
  
  
  
"For who? May I ask?" the angel asked his superior.   
  
  
  
"Taichi Yagami," was the archangel's reply.   
  
  
  
"I see... But his soul's not about to get rid of his body until many years from now sir," the younger angel explained, confused.   
  
  
  
"I know that. This will be on him when I am finished making it, which will be just about today."   
  
  
  
"What's it's use sir?"   
  
  
  
"A mark, so that every supernatural creature will know him as the one who killed Oni."   
  
  
  
Matt nodded his head in response.   
  
  
  
"Besides. It's about time we give that devil of a boy his halo," the archangel smirked, as he lifted his finished work up into the light.   
  
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
  
**Author's Notes:** *I can't say that Oni had been alive for millions of years although I did at the start of writing this chapter. I just remembered that in the Catholic/ Christian religion, Jesus was alive only two thousand and three years ago, and practically everything in heaven and hell had reached it's climax. Some arch angel wanted more power than God, so he decided to rebel, therefore, hell was created. I don't know every detail of the bible, so let's just say that hell was created during at time two thousand years ago okay? Haha... sorry about the lecture. I hope that you truly enjoyed this story... and yeah... I'll take out my venting chapter. Sorry about the people who had to suffer reading it. Haha... Anyways...   
  
  
  
Also, I know that Sora also helped in fighting Oni, but Tai did the killing, and in history books, even with help, the person who inflicted the most damage (for better or for worse), always tend to receive the recognition. Now, don't get me wrong, Sora get's to be an angel, and what's better than to live an after-life eternity of bliss?   
  
  
  
Check out the new/ kinda old story 'A New Kind of Fairy Tale'. I haven't updated in a long while because of the fact that I wanted to finish this story, but now that I'm finished with it, I'll go on that wild hunt to find my notebook where I wrote down the rough outline of the story and continue writing. Until then... Bye bye!!   
  
  
  
Oh my gosh! I can't believe it's finished!!! After 17 _real_ chapters... Wow. ^_^ Soooo happy right now!!! I'll probably give out a 'Special Thanks' page as a bonus to the people who review this chapter.   
  
  
  
Please review!   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



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